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Lookup NU author(s): Professor David XieORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Blending with another biopolymer or nanomaterial can be an effective route to modify or tailor the properties of chitosan materials. In this work, we compared the effects of two nanoclays, montmorillonite (MMT) and sepiolite (SPT), on the properties of chitosan and chitosan/silk peptide (SP) films. While the solution-cast chitosan/SP films showed no phase separation on a micron length scale, some degree of molecular-level heterogeneity or incompatibility was evident. MMT nanoplatelets were delaminated in the chitosan-alone matrix, resulting in enhanced mechanical properties and hydrophobicity. In comparison, inclusion of SPT nanoneedles was less effective at altering the properties of the chitosan matrix. In the chitosan/SP system, the MMT was poorly dispersed, suggesting the two biopolymers interfere with how each interacts with the nanoclay. Nonetheless, in this case, MMT disrupted biopolymer chain interactions, leading to reduced mechanical properties and increased surface hydrophilicity. In contrast, SPT was found to enhance the mechanical properties of the chitosan/SP matrix, certainly associated with it being better dispersed. Thus, this work shows the efficacy of MMT and SPT as a route to altering the structure and properties of chitosan-based biopolymer matrices. © 2020 The Authors. Polymer International published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Industrial Chemistry.
Author(s): Chen P, Xie F, McNally T
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Polymer International
Year: 2021
Volume: 70
Issue: 5
Pages: 527-535
Print publication date: 04/04/2021
Online publication date: 25/08/2020
Acceptance date: 25/08/2020
Date deposited: 23/05/2023
ISSN (print): 0959-8103
ISSN (electronic): 1097-0126
Publisher: Wiley
URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/pi.6103
DOI: 10.1002/pi.6103
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