Formation of fibres and spheres from chitin solution

The applications of chitin are limited due to its insolubility in most organic solvents. The chemical modification of chitin to generate new bio-functional materials can bring more desirable properties. A concentration of 5% can be obtained. We have successfully prepared chitin fibres and spheres by dissolving chitin in 85% phosphoric acid in various coagulating agents and then regenerating it in 10% sodium hydroxide. The change in molecular structure was studied by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The surface morphology of different biomaterials was observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy (OM).