The α-chitin nanofiber hydrogel was prepared from the aqueous chitin nanofiber dispersion through the alkaline solution coagulation bath. The self-standing hydrogel even can be prepared with a chitin nanofiber concentration as low as 0.2%, and the increasing concentration of chitin-nanofiber, the continuously enhanced mechanical properties including elastic modulus, loss modulus and resistance strain ability. The frequency scanning analyzing showed that the chitin nanofiber hydrogel is a kind of typical elastic gel. The α-chitin nanofiber aqueous dispersion was also blended with chitosan and alginate solution, respectively. The rheological study showed that the filling of chitin nanofibers significantly improved the thixotropic properties of the blended slurries. Meanwhile, the specific surface area could be improved from 46.47 m2/g to 229.71 m2/g when the chitosan gel beads were filled with the partially deacetylated α-chitin nanofibers, and the prepared composite beads had a broad pore size ranging from 20 nm to 60 nm. Moreover, a more porous and fibrous structure in the SEM image of composite beads was also observed than that of the sole chitosan ones. When blended with alginate solution, the addition of TEMPO-oxidized α-chitin nanofibers also promoted the mechinical properties of the alginated gels, and with the increasing ratio of chitin nanofiber, the mechanical strength of the composite was promoted gradually. Acknowledgements This research was supported by the National Forestry Public Welfare Industry Research Project (201304609), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31100426), the Natural Science Foundation of the Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions of China (12KJA220001)

Preparation of α-chitin nanofibers based hydrogels and composite hydrogels

251st National Meeting (2016)

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