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| Author(s): |
Jorge Augusto de Moura Delezuk
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Doctoral Thesis |
| Press: | São Carlos. |
| Institution: | Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC/BT) |
| Defense date: | 2013-06-20 |
| Examining board members: |
Sergio Paulo Campana Filho;
Marisa Masumi Beppu;
Osvaldo Novais de Oliveira Junior
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| Advisor: | Sergio Paulo Campana Filho |
| Abstract | |
The main reaction of chitin is the hydrolysis of its acetamido groups, which generates a polymer known as chitosan. The focus of the present study is the development of an efficient, reproductive and versatile process for chitosan production with controlled characteristics. In this sense, the chitin deacetylation assisted by high intensity ultrasound irradiation, called USAD process, was studied. The development of the proposed study was carried out in four steps: i) the extraction, fractionation and characterization of beta-chitin, extracted from squid pens; ii) the chemometric approach, aiming to determine the most important variables of the USAD process; iii) the chemometric approach aiming to the USAD process optimization, employing response surface and iv) the deacetylation kinetics studies of beta-chitin via USAD process. The characterization of the chitosans obtained by the USAD process, supported by factorial design, showed that the intensity of the ultrasound irradiation is the least important variable in the beta-chitin deacetylation, and the temperature and reaction time are the variables that most affect the beta-chitin depolymerization. From this study, chitosans with high <span style=\"text-decoration: overline\">DD (92%) and <span style=\"text-decoration: overline\">Mv (5.42 x105g/mol) were produced, with acetylation parameter (AP) values close to 1.0, which corresponds to an ideal random pattern of distribution of GlcNAc and GlcN units, suggesting that the USAD process occurs homogeneously. The analysis of response surfaces allowed to observe that the increase of temperature and sonication time generates more deacetylated chitosans, but with lower average molecular weights. This analysis also allowed us to evaluate the effects of USAD process in <span style=\"text-decoration: overline\">DD, <span style=\"text-decoration: overline\">Mv, and AP variations: chitosans with high <span style=\"text-decoration: overline\">Mv (9.83x105g/mol) were obtained, but the increase of temperature and sonication time resulted in more degraded and more deacetylated chitosans. The selection of the main USAD process variables, temperature and sonication time, allowed a better understanding of <span style=\"text-decoration: overline\">DD and <span style=\"text-decoration: overline\">Mv variation, and allowed to obtain chitosan with PA≈1.0, which corresponds to an ideal random pattern of distribution of GlcNAc and GlcN units. The study of beta-chitin deacetylation kinetics via USAD process revealed the occurrence of two stages: the first step, active in the first 20 minutes, is faster (k = 29.4 min-1 103) when compared with the second one (k = 7.6 min-1 103). The chitosans generated in the kinetic study of the USAD process were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, which revealed some water loss in the crystalline structure during the USAD process, which is attributed to the cavitation generated by irradiation of high intensity ultrasound. Thus, it is suggested that the phenomenon of cavitation, which results in significant morphological changes by reducing average particle size and increase uniformity and roughness, also act within the crystalline structure of beta-chitin, resulting in the expulsion of water molecules and facilitating the access of sodium hydroxide to beta-chitin acetamido groups even in the crystalline domains. The use of high intensity ultrasound in deacetylation of beta-chitin highlight the production of chitosans with controlled characteristics. (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 09/08718-2 - Kinetic study of the ultrasound-assisted deacetylation of chitin |
| Grantee: | Jorge Augusto de Moura Delezuk |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate |