Bio-Membranes Obtained By Layer By Layer Assembly

LE ROY BOISEAUMARIÉ B.; MARCOVICH N. E; M. PEREDA

Buenos Aires

Workshop; II Workshop on Biodegradable Polymers and Biocomposites III Workshop BIOPURFIL, Bio-based Polyurethane Composites with Natural Fillers; 2015

Thin polymeric films are currently of great academic interest due to their potential applications in industrial processes [1]. The polyelectrolyte multilayer films (PEM) may be used as membranes for ion permeation, per-evaporation, in molecular integrated optics, electronics, biosensors, water purification, ultrafiltration (as a method of protein purification [1], etc. Chitosan is one weak polyelectrolyte frequently used in bio-applications [2]. It is a natural cationic carbohydrate (at pH < pKa chitosan = 6.5) [3] obtained from chitin deacetylation by alkaline treatment.Other weak polyelectrolytes are alginates, the structural polysaccharides extracted from brown algae. Besides being a natural polymer, alginate has the ability of forming electrostatic interactions with chitosan leading to polyelectrolyte complexes [4]. The aim of this work is to develop thin multilayer bio-films formed by layer by layer assembling of natural polymers with opposite charges, and to carefully analyze the changes induced by modifying some preparation variables.