Synthesis and Physicochemical Characteristics of Chitosan Extracted from Pinna deltoides

Chitosan, a naturally produced polysaccharide that has a wide range of uses in biological, pharmacological, industrial, and commercial settings. The pen shell Pinna deltoides is a common species found along the coast of Thondi, and it is often collected as by-catch by fishermen. These species contain a high amount of chitin, which may be converted into chitosan. The goal of this research is to extract chitosan from P. deltoides and characterize it utilizing techniques like Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Micro Raman Spectroscopy, X-ray Powder Diffractometry (XRD), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The existence of C-O-C glycosidic connection (1156 cm-1), NHCO group (1216 cm-1), aliphatic compound, -CH2 bend (1418 cm-1), and asymmetric CH2 stretching were verified by FTIR analysis (1204 cm-1). Chitosan extract exhibited a greater degree of deacetylation of 55.17%, which is consistent with prior studies. The highest peaks in the Micro Raman Spectra were 2937 cm-1, 1106 cm-1, and 1376 cm-1. The crystallinity of the chitosan at 2θ was anticipated using X-ray Powder Diffractometry (XRD) data at about 20°-25°. SEM micrograms verified the crystalline nature of the chitosan by revealing its soft and crystal-like arrangement of the chitosan. TGA was used to assess the sample's thermal constancy, and the chitosan's stability was found to be consistent with that of prior research.