Open Access

ARTICLE

Synthesis and Characterization of Chitosan/Guar Protein Blended New Membrane with Enhanced Properties for Potential Applications

Anuraag Moturi, Dharmesh R. Chejara^*

Tarsadia Institute of Chemical Science, Uka Tarsadia University, Surat, Gujarat, 394350, India

* Corresponding Author: Dharmesh R. Chejara. Email:

Journal of Polymer Materials 2024, 41(3), 179-190. https://doi.org/10.32604/jpm.2024.055887

Received 09 July 2024; Accepted 02 September 2024; Issue published 30 September 2024

Abstract

A chitosan and guar protein isolate blend conjugate (Ch/GPI-Glu) based membrane has been designed and studied for its possible interaction with this biopolymer mixture. The designed conjugate chitosan/guar protein isolate blended membrane was investigated for its structural features using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analyses. IR Spectroscopic data suggested that chitosan and guar protein isolate contributed to a specific intermolecular interaction. The designed membrane was water-insoluble and it exhibited strong polymer–protein interaction. Further, the membrane was also found to have a smooth morphology which was studied from the SEM morphological analysis. Thermo-gravimetric analysis suggested the enhanced thermal behavior of the membrane. This approach of introducing guar protein to chitosan structure imparts hydrophobicity with enhanced mechanical strength. Designing chitosan-based materials using such proteins opens a new field of research for researchers working in macromolecular chemistry. Further, this study also value-adds the structural features of guar protein isolate to study its possible interaction with other polysaccharides to get materials with tailor-made applications.

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