Thermal property,morphology, and hydrolysis ability of poly(lactic acid)/chitosan nanocomposites using polyethylene oxide

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and chitosan (CS) are two natural resource polymers, which have been applied widely into different fields. Polymer composites based on PLA and CS have some advantages such as good adhesion, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and high stability. They can be prepared by different methods including the solution, emulsion, and electrospinning methods. In this work, the PLA/chitosan nanocomposites were prepared by solution method using poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) as a compatibilizer in order to improve interaction and dispersion between PLA and CS phases. The characterization and morphology of the above nanocomposites were determined by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), thermograviety analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and scanning electron microscopy. Hydrolysis ability of PLA/CS nanocomposites with and without PEO was also investigated in acid and phosphate buffer solutions. The obtained results showed the compatibility between PLA and CS phases in the PLA/CS nanocomposites using PEO was improved clearly and weight loss of PLA/CS/PEO nanocomposites in the above environments lower than that of PLA/CS nanocomposites. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41690.