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Multilayer biopolymer membranes containing copper for antibacterial applications
Author(s) -
de Paiva Rafael G.,
de Moraes Mariana A.,
de Godoi Fernanda C.,
Beppu Marisa M.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.36666
Subject(s) - membrane , biopolymer , copper , materials science , chemical engineering , polymer , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , scanning electron microscope , chitosan , casting , adsorption , polymer chemistry , chemistry , organic chemistry , composite material , metallurgy , biochemistry , engineering
Chitosan/alginate multilayer dense membranes, with micrometric thicknesses, were produced by casting the solution of each polymer alternately on a Petri dish. Copper ions were also incorporated into these membranes, which were then characterized with regard to morphology, chemical and crystallographic structures, ions diffusivity, and bacteriostatic properties. Results indicate that the casting approach for multilayers production was successful, since the membranes produced were formed by organized and alternated polymer layers. The pH dependence of the metal adsorption resulted in a higher concentration of the copper in the alginate layers, as shown by SEM‐EDS (scanning electron microscopy ‐ energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy) analysis. Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy confirmed the Coulombic interaction between the chitosan amino groups and sodium alginate carboxyl groups. The copper ions were distributed homogeneously, without the formation of clusters, and were bound mainly to oxygen and nitrogen atoms located on the alginate and chitosan functional groups, respectively, according to extended X‐ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) results. The antibacterial properties of this membrane indicate that this material may hold promise for numerous applications, such as for water treatment or antibacterial functional coatings with controlled release. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012