| 초록 |
The major component of exoskeletons in invertebrates such as crustaceans and instects is chitin, which is the second abundant naturally occurring biopolymer by living organisms after cellulose. And chitosan is an appealing biopolymer for the replacement of synthetic plastic compounds and applicable to various biomedical fields. Here, we measured molecular interactions of high molecular weight chitosan and low molecular weight chitosan in aqueous solutions by exploring the effects of pH, contact time and degree of acetylation which determines chitin and chitosan using a surface forces apparatus (SFA). The SFA is a powerful instrument used to characterize the fundamental molecular forces such as electrostatic forces, van der Waals forces, hydrophobic interactions, metal coordination forces in aqueous conditions. The nanomechanical studies of chitosan and chitin using SFA will provide a new insight into the development of chitosan/chitin based biomedical applications. |
