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Optical characterization of pure and chemically modified chitosan bio-films

William H Nosal, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to apply spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) to the study of monolayer thick chemically modified surfaces and then study the protein attachment or rejection of these films. Optical properties of spin-cast pure and chemically modified chitosan films have been determined in the infrared (IR), visible (vis), ultraviolet (UV), and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) regions of the spectrum using spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). Vis-SE data were used to monitor protein attachment or nonattachment to the surface of the chemically modified chitosan using real-time SE. Optical constants for the UV-Vis-near IR spectra from 130nm to 1700nm were determined on dried samples. Optical constants were modeled using Cauchy dispersion forms combined with Lorentzian oscillator models in the absorptive shorter wavelength regions. Infrared refraction index and extinction coefficients from 750cm -1 to 4000cm-1 were determined using ellipsometric data fits to dispersion models based on harmonic oscillators. This modeling determined that optical anisotropy was present and measurable over all wavelength regions of ellipsometric data. VUV adsorption was accounted for by including Gaussian and Tauc-Lorentz shaped oscillators in the optical model. IR-SE and VUV-SE data were used to confirm that chemical modifications to the surface occurred. IR spectra are well known for identifying resonant chemical bonds. However, VUV-SE simultaneously offers resonances for chemical identifications and high surface sensitivity due to shallow depth of optical penetration. To obtain additional information on the micro-scale and nano-scale surface structure, tapping mode AFM imaging was employed to determine morphology and roughness information of dry modified and pure spin-cast chitosan films.

Subject Area

Chemical engineering|Materials science

Recommended Citation

Nosal, William H, "Optical characterization of pure and chemically modified chitosan bio-films" (2006). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI3237385.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI3237385

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