Integration of collagen into chitosan blend film composites: physicochemical property aspects for pharmaceutical materials

Chitosan and collagen-based hydrogel composites were successfully prepared at chitosan:collagen volume ratio of 1:1, 1:3, 1:5, and 1:10. The structural, thermal, morphological, swelling, mechanical characteristics were investigated, and in vitro degradation testing was conducted. Tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) was used as a crosslinking agent between the chitosan and collagen chains. The NH group of both chitosan and collagen can form crosslinks with the OH groups of TEOS. XRD reported that no significant peak of crystallinity was observed during the integration of collagen into the chitosan film. The surface of the composite was rougher than that of the collagen. The composites were thermally stable up to 200 °C. The glass transition temperature slightly decreased in the presence of collagen. The tensile strength significantly decreased, while the elongation at break significantly increased, when collagen was integrated into the chitosan film. The collagen conferred strong swelling and rapid degradation on the composite. The chitosan/collagen composite films developed in this study have potential applications as pharmaceutical materials.