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Synthesis of Crosslinked SPEEK–Chitosan Membranes and Comprehensive Characterization of Their Physical and Thermal Properties
1Faculty of applied sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, selangor,
2Faculty of applied sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, selangor, Malaysia
3Faculty of Engineering and Life Sciences, Universiti selangor , Shah Alam, selangor, Malaysia
4faculty of applied sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, selangor, Malaysia
5Faculty of Science and Defence Technology, universiti Pertahanan nasional , sungai besi, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
*Email Address : nazli2005@uitm.edu.my
Abstract : Composite membranes based on sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) incorporating up to 50 wt% chitosan were fabricated using the solution-casting method. The SPEEK–chitosan (SPEEK-CS) blend was obtained by dissolving SPEEK in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and chitosan (CS) in acetic acid, followed by mixing to form a homogeneous solution. The resulting mixture was cast onto a Petri dish and allowed to dry. The membranes were subsequently characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). FTIR analysis indicated significant interactions between the sulfonic acid groups of SPEEK and the amino groups of chitosan. XRD results showed that the introduction of amino groups (NH₂) into the SPEEK matrix increased the membrane’s degree of crystallinity. SEM images revealed that the number and size of crystalline clusters increased with higher chitosan content. TGA demonstrated a three-step thermal degradation process: an initial weight loss from 30 to 200 °C, followed by a second stage from 200 to 400 °C, is associated with the thermal decomposition of side chains in chitosan and SPEEK and a final stage, breakdown of the main polymer backbones occurring between 400 and 800 °C.
Keywords : SPEEK, Chitosan, Crosslinked, surface morphology, Degree of crystallinity