0000000000481790
AUTHOR
Jalel Labidi
Crosslinked chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol)-based polyelectrolytes for proton exchange membranes
[EN] The preparation polyelectrolytes based on crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and chitosan (CS) was considered as a feasible alternative to develop highly functionalised, cost-effective and eco-friendly membranes for proton exchange fuel cell technologies. CS/PVA-based membranes were combined with sulfosuccinic acid (SSA) as crosslinking and sulfonating agent, and glycerol (GL) to promote flexibility and favour their manageability. The chemical structure, the thermo-oxidative behaviour, the ethanol uptake, the electric, the proton conductivity, and the performance in direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) were assessed. In general, all the CS/PVA-based polyelectrolytes showed a synergetic i…
Valorization of Marine Waste: Use of Industrial By-Products and Beach Wrack Towards the Production of High Added-Value Products
Biomass is defined as organic matter from living organisms represented in all kingdoms. It is recognized to be an excellent source of proteins, polysaccharides and lipids and, as such, embodies a tailored feedstock for new products and processes to apply in green industries. The industrial processes focused on the valorization of terrestrial biomass are well established, but marine sources still represent an untapped resource. Oceans and seas occupy over 70% of the Earth’s surface and are used intensively in worldwide economies through the fishery industry, as logistical routes, for mining ores and exploitation of fossil fuels, among others. All these activities produce waste. The other sou…
Influence of chitin nanocrystals on the dielectric behaviour and conductivity of chitosan-based bionanocomposites
[EN] A series of bionanocomposite films based on chitosan, reinforced with chitin nanocrystals, were developed, and assessed in terms of dielectric behaviour and conductivity by using an experimental methodology that allows avoiding the conductivity contribution and the exclusion of contact and interfacial polarization effects. The dielectric relaxations at low and high frequency and temperatures were modeled by Havriliak-Negami functions. Below the glass transition temperature (Tg), the gamma and beta relaxations were observed, which were related to intramolecular and non-cooperative segmental movements. At higher temperatures, an intermolecular and cooperative macromolecular movement, rel…