Influence of cross-linking density on swelling and estradiol permeation of chitosan membranes

LUCIANO MENGATTO*, JULIO A. LUNA, MARÍA I. CABRERA

JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE

SPRINGER

Año: 2010 vol. 45 p. 1046 - 1051

0022-2461

Chitosan membranes were obtained by a casting/solvent evaporation method and cross-linkingwith sodium tripolyphosphate. The effect of cross-linking time was studied and the cross-linked membranes werecharacterized with respect to equilibrium water content, sodium content, IR spectroscopy and permeability to amodel drug (Estradiol). Sodium content increased with increasing cross-linking time. Equilibrium water content washigher in the membrane with the lowest cross-linking time. This membrane also showed a higher flux of Estradiolcompared with the other which exhibited an increment in equilibrium water content and flux of Estradiol with theincrease in cross-linking duration. These dissimilar results could be explained by a significant correlation betweenthe hydrophilicity of the membrane and the hydrophobicity of Estradiol.