Fabrication, characterization, and diffusion coefficient of chitosan-poss blended membranes

• Main Author: Chaw, Pei Yin.
• Other Authors: Wang Kean
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Chemical engineering::Biochemical engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/16515
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Chitosan has emerged as an exciting material for a wide range of applications from pharmaceutics formulation to tissue engineering. In my Final Year Project, the blended chitosan membranes containing 1,2-PropaneDiollsobutyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) were prepared, in hopes of improving the diffusion performance of the membranes in sodium chloride and riboflavin (Vitamin B2) solution. The effect of POSS incorporation into chitosan membranes on the diffusion coefficient was investigated. Along the way, the chemical structures of the blended membranes were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope (SEM). In addition, the swelling degrees of the chitosan-POSS blended membranes in weight and thickness were also investigated. In general, the results indicated that the swelling degrees increased with the POSS content in the blended membranes. The chitosan-POSS blend ratio affected the interactions of chitosan with POSS tethers, resulting in variation of structural and mechanical stability of the blended membranes. Overall, the diffusion coefficient of the chitosan-POSS blended membranes in sodium chloride and riboflavin solution was significantly improved by about 17% to 40% through the synergistic effect of blending compared to pure chitosan membrane. The experimental results showed that the blended membranes in the riboflavin diffusion had much higher diffusion coefficient compared to those in the sodium chloride diffusion. Therefore, the possible interactions between the blended components and the sodium chloride or riboflavin solution were explored. Lastly, the concentration dependent diffusion was also studied by varying the sodium chloride concentration from 1M to 0.05M in the diffusion process.