Macroporous chitosan/carboxymethylclellulose blend membranes and their application for lysozyme adsorption

The adsorption of lysozyme was investigated with novel macroporous chitosan (CS)/carboxymethyl/cellulose (CMC) blend membranes. The CS/CMG blend membranes were prepared by a simple solution-blending method with glutaraldehyde as a crosslinking agent for CS and with silica particles as porogens. The CS/CMC blend membranes were insoluble in aqueous media when the CMC concentration in the membranes did not exceed 30 mol %. The protein adsorption on these membranes from aqueous solutions containing different amounts of lysozyme at different pHs was investigated in batch systems. The results showed that the lysozyme adsorption capacity had a maximum at pH 9.2, and this indicated that the CS/CMC blend membranes could act as cation-exchange membranes. Moreover, the blend membranes showed the best adsorption properties for lysozyme when the CMC concentration was 20 mol %. In addition, the lysozyme adsorption capacity of the blend membranes increased with an increase in the initial lysozyme concentration and the adsorption temperature. The maximum adsorption capacity of the macroporous CS/CMC blend membranes was as high as 240 mg/g (170 mg/mL), and more than 95% of the adsorbed lysozyme was desorbed in a pH buffer at 11.8. The blend membranes also demonstrated good reusability after several adsorption-desorption cycles. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.