Chitosan-Modified Poly(acrylonitrile-co-acrylic acid) Nanofibrous Membranes for the Immobilization of Concanavalin A

• Published in: Biomacromolecules 2008-12, Vol.9 (12), p.3397-3403
• Main Authors: Che, Ai-Fu, Liu, Zhen-Mei, Huang, Xiao-Jun, Wang, Zhen-Gang, Xu, Zhi-Kang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acrylic Resins - chemistry; Applied sciences; Chitosan - analogs & derivatives; Chitosan - chemistry; Concanavalin A - chemistry; Exact sciences and technology; Exchange resins and membranes; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Membranes, Artificial; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Nanofibers - chemistry; Photoelectron Spectroscopy; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; Static Electricity; Surface Properties; Technology of polymers
• ISSN: 1525-7797; 1526-4602
• DOI: 10.1021/bm800882z

Lectin affinity membranes have been receiving much attention for the separation and detection of various glycoconjugates. In this work, we present a simple and efficient method for the preparation of lectin affinity nanofibrous membranes. Chitosan-modified poly(acrylonitrile-co-acrylic acid) (PANCAA) nanofibrous membranes were first prepared by a coupling reaction between the primary amino groups of chitosan and the carboxyl groups of PANCAA electrospun membranes. Surface characterizations by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR/ATR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) confirm the chemical and morphological changes of the studied nanofibrous membranes. Fluorescence-labeled concanavalin A (FL-Con A) was then immobilized on these membranes via noncovalent binding. Analyses by fluorescence spectrophotometer (FS) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) reveal that the immobilization of Con A onto the modified nanofibrous membranes has been successfully achieved on the basis of the electrostatic interaction and the specific recognition between Con A and chitosan. The results show that the amount of adsorbed FL-Con A increases dramatically with the increasing coupling degree of chitosan (CDC) on the nanofibrous membrane. Moreover, Con A immobilized on the chitosan-modified nanofibrous membranes (CMNMs) can remain relatively stable at pH 5.3. Therefore, it is believed that this work may provide a new kind of material for affinity application.