Bionanocomposites based on chitosan intercalation in designed swelling high-charged micas

Bionanocomposites based on layered inorganic components, as clays, and polymers of biological origin, as chitosan, have a major impact in medical and environmental fields, being economical and environmentally friendly materials. Na-M n micas ( n = 2 and 4) with controlled surface charge, high cation exchange capacity and swelling behaviour, are attractive inorganic composite components that exhibit improved adsorption properties compared to other inorganic solids which makes them potentially useful for bionanocomposites. The goal of this research was to explore the potential use of those synthetic brittle micas to form eco-friendly bionanocomposites with chitosan biopolymer. Hence, chitosan-mica bionanocomposites were prepared by ion-exchange reaction between chitosan solution and synthetic high charge mica. X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermal analysis, MAS-NMR spectroscopy and zeta-potential have been employed for bionanocomposites characterization. The results showed that the adsorption of chitosan is effective, although a chitosan portion remains in the outer surface being hydrogen-bonded to the tetrahedral sheet of the silicate.