Direct chitosan scaffold formation via chitin whiskers by a supercritical carbon dioxide method: a green approach

Abstract

The wide array of tissue-engineering applications enhances the need for biodegradable materials with broad potential. Chitosan, the partially deacetylated derivative of chitin, may be one such material. This research studies the morphology and characterization of porous structures produced from chitin for use as a scaffold for cell culture. The chitosan scaffold was prepared by reaction of chitin with alkali using supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂). The prepared hydrogel was subjected to solvent exchange. The material was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Nitrogen porosimetry was applied to evaluate the scaffold for its porosity and surface area. With this scCO₂ method, a porous chitosan scaffold was successfully fabricated.