Influence of Pectin as a green polymer electrolyte on the transport properties of Chitosan-Pectin membranes

PASINI CABELLO, S.D.; MOLLÁ, S.; OCHOA, N.A.; COMPAÑ, V.; OCHOA, N.A.; TAKARA, E.A.; COMPAÑ, V.; PASINI CABELLO, S.D.; TAKARA, E.A.; MOLLÁ, S.

CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS

ELSEVIER SCI LTD

Año: 2017 vol. 157 p. 1759 - 1768

0144-8617

Novel blend membranes have been prepared from Chitosan (CH), Pectin (PEC) and their mixtures. The obtained samples were cross-linked and sulfonated before characterization. The results show that CH/PEC membranes display structural changes on the chemical and physical properties as a function of composition. DSC analysis reveals an endothermic peak due to the scission of the ionic pairs between carboxylic groups and ammonium groups, which produces a strong change on physical properties such as methanol permeability and proton conductivity. The methanol permeability decreases with the amount of Pectin from (4.24 ± 0.04) × 10−6 cm2/s for pure Chitosan membrane to (1.51 ± 0.03) × 10−6 cm2/s for blend CH/PEC membranes when the amount of Pectin is 50% (v/v). The proton conductivities of the blend membranes follow a similar behavior. For a pure CH membrane the conductivity is 2.44 × 10−3 S/cm, decreasing with pectin content until the composition 50/50 (v/v), in which the conductivity drops almost one order of magnitude.