EFFECT OF CROSSLINKED CHITOSAN AS A CONSTRAINED VOLUME ON THE IN VITRO CALCIUM CARBONATE CRYSTALLIZATION ANDRÓNICO NEIRA-CARRILLO, JAIME RETUERT

Abstract

The present work deals with the effect of the constrained volume given by crosslinked chitosan (CHI) as a sphere on the in vitro CaCO3 crystallization. Crosslinked CHI was obtained with formaldehyde (FA), glutaraldehyde (GA), epichlorhydrine (EPCH) and poly (propylene glycol) diglycidyl ether (PPDGE) as crosslinking agents. Determination of swelling percentage (%) of the crosslinked CHI spheres was carried out in TRIS buffer at pH 9. Spheres of high molecular weight were prepared using drops of CHI solution on NaOH. In vitro CaCO3 crystallization using gas-diffusion method was done. In addition, a synthetically sulphonated containing polymethylsiloxane (S-PMS) was used as modifying additive on the CaCO3 crystals growth in a confined space of CHI. The degree of the crosslinking altered the diffusion of CO2 gas through the CHI spheres during the CaCO3 crystallization resulting in different and specific crystals morphologies.