Production and characterization of chitosan-based superhydrophobic film bio-inspired by Verbascum sp. leaf

Chitosan, a biodegradable and biocompatible biopolymer, is widely favored in film production as an eco-friendly alternative to petroleum-based films. However, its limited water resistance restricts its applications. To address this issue, the water resistance of chitosan films was enhanced by coating their surfaces with hair derived from the leaves of the Verbascum sp. plant, a species that is abundant and easy to cultivate. Natural superhydrophobic films were successfully produced by embedding needle-like hairs onto the surfaces of chitosan matrices. The resulting films were characterized using standard analytical techniques, including FTIR, TGA, SEM, XRD, elemental analysis, and contact angle measurements. The results indicated that the water contact angle values for the CVH100 and CVH200 films, recorded at 143.01° and 146.83° respectively, exhibited an increase as the quantity of needle-like hairs. However, the contact angle of the chitosan film without needle-like fibrils was 103.44°. Additionally, biocompatibility was confirmed through MTT testing, and blood compatibility was validated via hemolysis assays. These results highlight the potential of these superhydrophobic chitosan films as innovative surface coatings for diverse applications, particularly in the biomedical field.