Glycine hydrochloride ionic liquid/aqueous solution system as a platform for the utilization of chitosan

摘要

Glycine hydrochloride ([Gly]Cl), a room-temperature ionic liquid (IL), is proposed as a new, good solvent for chitosan with different deacetylation degrees and molecular weights. However, considered from the viscosity of a solution of chitosan and [Gly]Cl, a 2% [Gly]Cl IL aqueous solution was selected as an optimum solvent system for dissolving chitosan. X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy were used to visualize the modifications of the native structures of chitosan during the dissolution and the regeneration processes, morphological features, and properties of the reconstituted chitosan membranes.