Hydrogen bonding in chitosan/Antarctic krill protein composite system: Study on construction and enhancement mechanism

The main of the work concerns the reason for the interpretation of the tensile strength of chitosan (CS) enhanced by Antarctic krill protein (AKP). We found a new mixed solvent, 2 wt% glacial acetic acid, and 2 wt% ethylene glycol aqueous solution, to prepare a stable CS/AKP composite solution. Then we obtained CS/AKP fiber by wet-spinning on a lab-scale wet-spinning machine. The tensile strength of blended fibers is 2.53 cN/dtex in the dry state, which is improved by 11.9% compared with the CS fibers. We found that the increased tensile strength of the blended fibers is relative to the hydrogen bond formed between CS and AKP. Specifically, illustrate the restructured hydrogen bonds in CS/AKP system in Fourier transform infrared curve fitting. The hydrogen bond probably benefits on crystalline growth of CS along the fiber axis and is the main drivable factor in removing the water molecules in blended fibers. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.