Chitin hybrid materials reinforced with graphene oxide nanosheets: chemical and mechanical characterisation

J.A. GONZALEZ; M.F. MAZZOBRE; M.E. VILLANUEVA; DIAZ, L.E; COPELLO, GUILLERMO JAVIER

RSC Advances

Royal society of chemistry

Año: 2014 p. 16480 - 16488

2046-2069

Chitin hybrid materials reinforced with graphene oxide nanosheets (nGO) have been prepared. Chitin:nGO ratio ranged from proportions were chitin is the main component to ones where nGO exceed those of chitin. SEM and TEM images showed that high nGO proportions may turn into nanosheets association. FTIR, 13C solid-state NMR and DSC analysis showed that the interaction among the components would not involve the formation of new molecular bondings. nGO was shown to act as a filler that induces structural rearrangements in chitin which lead to new hydrogen bondings among the chains. Mechanical stability proved to be higher when nGO content in the hybrid is similar to or higher than that of chitin. Rheological behaviour showed to be more solid-like with the increment of nGO content. The nGO did not interfere with lysozyme activity over chitin chains indicating that these materials would be biodegradable