Characterization of chitosan microparticles reinforced cellulose biocomposite sponges regenerated from ionic liquid

• DOI: 10.1007/s10570-014-0440-y
• Publication Date: 2014-09-12T07:50:51Z
• Authors: Fangbing Lv; Chaoxia Wang; Ping Zhu; Chuanjie Zhang
• Keywords: 02 engineering and technology; 0210 nano-technology

The chitosan-microparticles reinforced cellulose biocomposite sponges regenerated from ionic liquid were prepared and characterized. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed that the cellulose dissolved in 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride without derivatization. Chitosan particles as reinforcement were incorporated into the cellulose matrix. FTIR spectra indicated hydrogen bonding between hydroxyl groups of cellulose and chitosan. The biocomposite sponges showed uniform three-dimensional interconnected porous structures. The breaking strength of the sponges increased significantly, from 0.09 to 0.32 MPa with the addition of 1.0 wt% chitosan. The sponges also demonstrated excellent antibacterial activity against S. aureus and E. coli with the average inhibition zone diameters >2 mm and the inhibition rate higher than 80 %. Furthermore, the biocomposite sponges exhibited good moisture penetrability and high porosity. The water uptake ability of the sponge was >25 times of its weight in water with a fast swelling. The chitosan/cellulose composite sponge is expected to be a promising material for potential applications as wound dressing.