Fabrications of chitosan-derivative-based superabsorbent materials for agriculture application

Abstract

The study successfully utilized shrimp shells to extract chitosan using a two-step deacetylation process with a high degree of deacetylation (91.48%). Furthermore, chitosan is attached with hydrophilic functional groups to form O-carboxymethyl chitosan (O-CMCS), to increase the solubility of the material in neutral and alkaline environments. The chitosan derivative was grafted with acrylic acid (AA) to produce a superabsorbent polymer (SAP) material from O-CMCS (O-CMCS-SAP). The ideal conditions for the material's synthesis were a 2% glutaraldehyde concentration, a 1:8 O-CMCS: AA ratio, and a 2% potassium persulfate concentration that created SAP material had a maximum adsorption capacity of 658.16 g/g after a 15-day immersion in water. The ability to biodegrade after four weeks of testing and retain water to provide plants during growth were the strengths of the O-CMCS-SAP material. Furthermore, the study effectively examined the same two chili plants developed and changed in the presence and absence of O-CMCS-SAP. Compared to plants lacking O-CMCS-SAP, the chili plants with O-CMCS-SAP grew and developed significantly more. Following eight weeks of testing, the water-deficient plants had wilting leaves and remarkably slow development. The O-CMCS-SAP material was effectively synthesized and may be used to enhance arid soil, according to all experimental results.