Kategorie: ‘Chitosan’
New PhD Student
In January, we welcomed Nils Münstermann to the area of bio-based building materials. As part of his dissertation, he is researching sustainable and biodegradable chitosan-based binders, adhesives and glazes for use on wood. We wish him every success with his research and welcome him to the working group.
Completed Master Thesis
Congratulations to Nils Münstermann on successfully completing his Master’s thesis entitled ‘Synthesis and properties of superabsorbers based on chitosan hydrogels’ in the Chemistry degree programme. The thesis is part of the ongoing Biosuperabsorber project.
New project:Bio-based glazes and adhesives for wood
A new project focusing on bio-based building materials will start on 1 October 2021. Together with two industrial partners, we are developing glazes and adhesives for wood based on chitosan. The project is being supervised by Tobias Boehnke.
New publication:
Gentle dissolution of chitosan
Despite its very low pKa value, hydrochloric acid is one of the most commonly used acids in the production of chitosan hydrogels for biomedical applications. Although hydrochloric acid is widely used, the occurrence of unwanted depolymerisation in the production of hydrogels from chitosan hydrogels is often disregarded. In order to fully exploit the potential of chitosan as a renewable resource, a new, very mild method for the preparation of chitosan solutions is described here.
These solutions dry to clear, transparent films that remain completely water soluble and absorb up to 70 wt% water from the water in the 90 % RH vapour phase at 25 °C. Absorption follows simple first-order kinetics and the rate constants The rate constants increase with increasing humidity up to about 71 % RH, where a metastable chitosan trihydrate salt appears to be formed. Desorption is slightly faster, but more complex, as it involves two different first-order processes. In addition, the films produced in this way are thermally more stable than the usual chitosan hydrochloride.
M. B. Endres, O. Weichold
Sorption-active transparent films based on chitosan
Carbohydrate Polym. 2019, 208, 108–114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2018.12.031
