Preparation And Characterization Of Novel Sodium Alginate/chitosan Two Ply Composite Membranes

Sodium alginate/chitosan (SA/CS) two ply composite membranes were prepared by casting and solvent evaporation technique. NaHCO3 was used as a porogen additive to form pores in the interior of the composite membranes and glycerol was introduced as a plasticizer. The water uptake capacity, mechanical strength, oxygen permeation property, and in vitro cytotoxicity were evaluated to test the feasibility to utilize the composite membranes for wound dressing. The average pore size, water uptake capacity, and oxygen permeation property of the composite membranes could be adjusted by the ratio of NaHCO3 in the SA solution. The SA/CS two ply composite membranes showed high water uptake capacity, suitable mechanical strength, excellent oxygen permeability, and good biocompatible. It indicates that the SA/CS two ply composite membranes are suitable for wound dressing application. It provides a simple but promising platform to fabricate wound dressing using natural polymers. (C) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.