Bilayer-Structured Regenerated Cellulose/Chitosan Films Prepared with Ionic Liquid

Faisal Amri Tanjung (Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Sciences, Curtin University Sarawak, CDT 250, 98009 Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia)
Yalun Arifin (Department of Chemical Engineering, International University Liaison Indonesia, IULI – Eco Campus, The Breeze BSD City, Tangerang Selatan, Indonesia 15345.)
Abdul Hamid Abdullah (Department of Petroleum Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Sciences, Curtin University Sarawak, CDT 250, 98009 Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia)
Iqmal Tahir (Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia 55281)

Indonesian Journal of Chemistry
Vol 17, No 3 (2017)

The effects of chitosan on properties of regenerated cellulose/chitosan (RC/Ch) films were investigated. The films were prepared using a sequence process of solution-casting in a lithium chloride/N,N-dimethylacetamide ionic liquid, and coagulation in water. Due to the amorphous structure of chitosan and the formation of hydrogen bonding between the functional groups of the both components, tensile strength of the films decreased considerably; however, elongation at break increased. Furthermore, SEM morphology indicated a visible separated layers comprising of rigid and ductile surfaces. The addition of chitosan clearly improved the thermal stability of the films, although the thermal degradation mechanism was not altered.