Estimating the Strength of Single Chitin Nanofibrils via Sonication-Induced Fragmentation

We report the mechanical strength of native chitin nanofibrils. Highly crystalline α-chitin nanofibrils were purified from filaments produced by a microalgae Phaeocystis globosa, and two types of β-chitin nanofibrils were purified from pens of a squid Loligo bleekeri and tubes of a tubeworm Lamellibrachia satsuma, with relatively low and high crystallinity, respectively. These chitin nanofibrils were fully dispersed in water. The strength of individualized nanofibrils was estimated using cavitation-induced tensile fracture of nanoscale filaments in a liquid medium. Both types of β-chitin nanofibrils exhibited similar strength values of approximately 3 GP; in contrast, the α-chitin nanofibrils exhibited a much lower strength value of 1.6 GPa. These strength estimates suggest that the tensile strength of chitin nanofibrils is governed by the molecular packing modes of chitin rather than their crystallinity.