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Published on: January 22, 2015
Porous quaternized chitosan microspheres for heparin adsorption: preparation, characterization, and performance
Kexin Zhou1, Chaoyun Zhang1, Qingying Chen1
1College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China.
Summary
Researchers developed quaternized chitosan microspheres (QCM) for efficient anionic molecule separation. These novel QCMs demonstrate superior heparin adsorption capacity and selectivity compared to commercial resins, showing promise for biomolecule purification.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biochemistry
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Chitosan is a biocompatible polymer with potential for separation media.
- Developing efficient and selective adsorbents for anionic biomolecules is crucial for purification processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize quaternized chitosan microspheres (QCM) as a novel separation medium.
- To evaluate the adsorption performance, selectivity, and stability of QCM for anionic molecules, using heparin as a model.
Main Methods:
- Porous chitosan microspheres (PCM) were prepared via inverse emulsion crosslinking.
- Quaternized chitosan microspheres (QCM) were synthesized using glycidyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (GTMAC).
- Characterization included FTIR, SEM, BET, and particle size analysis; adsorption studies involved thermodynamics, kinetics, selectivity, and cyclic stability tests.
Main Results:
- QCM exhibited spherical morphology (359 ± 10 μm) with a quaternary ammonium content of 0.976 mmol/g.
- Maximum heparin adsorption capacity reached 37.0 mg/g, outperforming commercial Amberlite FPA98 Cl resin.
- Adsorption followed Langmuir/Sips models and pseudo-second-order kinetics, indicating monolayer adsorption and electrostatic interactions; QCM showed high selectivity for heparin over BSA and retained 72.1% capacity after 5 cycles.
Conclusions:
- QCM is a highly efficient and selective adsorbent for anionic biomolecules like heparin.
- The developed QCM offers a promising, cost-effective, and biocompatible alternative for biomolecule separation and purification.
- The study highlights the potential of QCM in green separation technologies.
