Direct chitosan nanoscaffold formation via chitin whiskers

Chitosan nanoscaffold obtained directly from chitin whiskers is proposed. The structural analysis by nuclear magnetic resonance (H-1 NMR) confirms that the alkaline treatment changes chitin whisker to chitosan nanoscaffold with as high as 98% degree of deacetylation. The micrographs from scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) confirm that the short fiber of chitin whiskers develop itself to be a network in nano-scale of chitosan or chitosan nanoscaffold. The increase in viscosity of chitosan nanoscaffold as compared to that of the chitin whiskers suggests that the scaffold network performs as a polymer bulk in the solution. The increases in surface area, pore volume, and pore size as studied by the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) gas adsorption inform the development of porous structure in chitosan. The well dispersion of nanoscaffold in the solution is easily controlled by the solvent polarity and salt concentration. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.