Investigation of Structural and Antibacterial Properties of Chitosan Functionalized with Atmospheric Pressure Plasma

Abstract

Chitosan, a natural polymer derived from chitin in shellfish exoskeletons, is biodegradable, biocompatible, and non-toxic, making it suitable for a wide range of applications. However, its limited solubility and mechanical strength require structural modification. Atmospheric-pressure plasma (APP) technology is a promising approach for improving the surface properties and performance of chitosan materials without altering their fundamental chemical structure. Chitosan films were fabricated by dissolving commercially sourced chitosan shavings in acetic acid media. Structural and functional characterizations were performed using SEM-EDS, FTIR, zeta potential measurements, swelling tests, and antimicrobial activity assays. The average molecular weights for chitosan shavings without plasma treatment (CH), chitosan shavings treated with atmospheric plasma for 5 min (PCH5), and chitosan shavings treated with atmospheric plasma for 10 min (PCH10) were 20474, 19995, and 13961 g/mol, respectively. Antibacterial properties were evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli using the disk diffusion method. Inhibition zone diameters were 51.6 mm and 54.3 mm for PCH5, and 50.3 mm and 56.6 mm for PCH10, against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, respectively. Results indicated that APP-treated chitosan shavings exhibited superior antimicrobial activity compared to untreated shavings and plasma-treated commercial powdered chitosan, demonstrating the potential of APP technology for producing high-performance chitosan-based materials.

Keywords

• Chitosan
• Atmospheric pressure plasma
• Surface modification
• Antimicrobial activity
• Biocompatibility

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