Eco-Friendly Plasma-Assisted Conversion of Chitin to Chitosan for Advanced Biomedical Applications

This study investigates the conversion of chitin to chitosan using sustainable methods involving Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) plasma. Plasma was applied to chitin samples to evaluate their ability to facilitate deacetylation, a key step in converting chitin to chitosan. Acid-base titrations and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy were utilized to determine the degree of acetylation (DA) of the samples before and after plasma treatment. Preliminary results reveal significant changes in the absorption spectra of treated chitin, suggesting partial deacetylation induced by plasma exposure. However, limitations due to the poor solubility of chitin and chitosan in acidic solutions impacted the accuracy of the measurements. These findings demonstrate the promise of plasma-assisted deacetylation, emphasizing the need for optimized methodologies to overcome solubility challenges and unlock the full potential of chitosan for advanced biomedical applications.