Preparation of Nanochitin Films with Oligochitin Graft Chains

Even nowadays, chitin is mostly unutilized as a biomass resource, although it abundantly present in nature. To develop an efficient method to use the component new functional bio-based materials, this study, we investigated preparation of flexible nanochitin (chitin nanofiber, ChNF) film with oligochitin dihexanoate graft chains. The parent ChNF was prepared by regeneration ion gel ionic liquid, 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (AMIMBr), using methanol and subsequent filtration. However, obtained showed quite brittle nature, probably because high crystallinity reduce crystallinity, dihexanoate, which provided partial depolymerization under acidic conditions, modified on partially deacetylated reductive amination. introduction chains supported 1H NMR IR measurements. powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) profile film, from aqueous acetic acid suspension grafted product, indicated reduction contributes disappearance nanofiber morphology enhancement flexibility. removal hexanoyl groups performed treatment NaOH. XRD measurements suggested compete dehexanoylation reformation crystalline structure, respectively. This study provides fabricate soft materials entirely comprising moieties.