Effect of the Degree of Acetylation on the Physicochemical Properties of Alpha-Chitin Nanofibers

The study examined how the degree of acetylation (DA) affected the physicochemical properties of α-chitin nanofibers (ChNFs). It found that decreasing the DA led to reduced chitin powder weight due to dissolution, increased transmittance, and higher viscosity of ChNF dispersions. Lower DAs resulted in thinner nanofibers, requiring fewer processing passes. The research suggested that controlling DA could modify ChNF properties, making them suitable for various applications, including potential medical uses like promoting hair growth. Techniques such as FT-IR spectroscopy and FE-SEM imaging were used to analyze changes, showing that higher DA resulted in wider nanofibers.