Adsorption properties of complexes of chitosan with copper and zinc chlorides and copper sulfate

The adsorption properties of complexes of chitosan with copper and zinc chlorides and copper sulfate with respect to n-alkanes (C6H14-C9H20) and n-alcohols (CH3OH-C3H7OH) were investigated by means inverse gas chromatography in the Henry region. It was found that the capability of the chitosan complexes for dispersion interaction is somewhat less pronounced in comparison with the initial chitosan. It was shown that complexation give rises to more ordered supramolecular structures, which make for an increase in the adsorption capacity of complexes with respect to n-alcohols. The small adsorption values measured were explained by the interaction of the n-alcohols only with weakly specific OH groups, since the NH2 group is inaccessible because of its being involved in the coordination bonding with the metal ion.