Depolymerization of chitosan-metal complexes via a solution plasma technique

作者：Pornsunthorntawee Orathai; Katepetch Chaiyapruk; Vanichvattanadecha Chutima; Saito Nagahiro; Rujiravanit Ratana^*

来源：Carbohydrate Polymers, 2014, 102: 504-512.

DOI：10.1016/j.carbpol.2013.11.025

• Chitosan
• Solution plasma
• Metal complexation
• Chitosan oligomers

Chitosan-metal complexes were depolymerized under acidic conditions using a solution plasma system. Four different types of metal ions, including Ag+, Zn2+, Cu2+, and Fe3+ ions, were added to the chitosan solution at a metal-to-chitosan molar ratio of 1:8. The depolymerization rate was affected by the types of metal ions that form complexes with chitosan. The complexation of chitosan with Cu2+ or Fe3+ ions strongly promoted the depolymerization rate of chitosan using a solution plasma treatment. However, chitosan-Ag+ and chitosan-Zn2+ complexes exhibited no change in the depolymerization rate compared to chitosan. After plasma treatment of the chitosan-metal complexes, the depolymerized chitosan products were separated into water-insoluble and water-soluble fractions. The water-soluble fraction containing low-molecular-weight chitosan was obtained in a yield of less than 57% for the depolymerization of chitosan-Fe3+ complex with the plasma treatment time of 180 min.

• 出版日期2014-2-15