Characterization of chitosan/ZnO nanoparticle composite membranes by UV-Vis Spectroscopy (CAT#: STEM-MB-0923-WXH)

Introduction

Chitosan (CS), a high molecular weight cationic polysaccharide, has attracted considerable interest because of its non-toxicity, good mechanical property, antibacterial activity, biocompatibility, and excellent film-forming ability. For this reason, CS has been applied in biomaterial, medicinal, environmental, and other industrial fields. Over recent years, hybrid materials based on CS have been developed, including conducting polymers, metal nanoparticles, and oxide agents, due to excellent properties of individual components and outstanding synergistic effects simultaneously.
Currently, the research on the combination of CS and metal oxide has focused on titanium dioxide, as titanium dioxide has excellent photocatalytic performance and is stable in acidic and alkaline solvents. Compared with titanium dioxide, zinc oxide has similar band-gap and antibacterial activity. It is well known that CS is only soluble in aqueous solutions of organic or mineral acids.