Moreover, it is also demonstrated that strong polymer-filler interaction could modify the molecular configuration of the polymer chains in the vicinity of the filler to the formation of localized amorphous regions. This would inhibit and retard the crystalline development of the CS chains. It became more pronounced when the CDHA content exceeds 30 wt.%. However, the crystallinity of CDHA seems to be enhanced by the addition of

CS. The full-width at half maximum of the XRD peak of the CS-CDHA nanocomposites was observed to be lower than that of the pristine CDHA, thereby displaying sharper peak (better crystallinity). Thus, we suggest that the CS chains might induce the crystallinity of CDHA. Figure 2 shows the TEM images of the pristine CDHA (a), CS37 (b), CS55 (c), and CS73 (d) nanocomposites. The pristine CDHA exhibited click here needle-like structure of nanorods (5 to 20 nm in diameter and 50 to 100 nm in length). The CS-CDHA nanocomposites exhibited homogenously dispersed nanorods in the CS networks, especially in the CS73,

as illustrated in Figure 2b,c,d. The reason is that the electrostatic attraction between the NH3 + group (positive charge of the CS chains) and the PO4 3- group (negative charge of the CDHA nanorods) served as the stable force for the colloid suspension, favoring the dispersion of CDHA. Moreover, the structure of the CS-CDHA nanocomposites (CS73) became denser with the increase of the CS content due to the better compatibility Obeticholic Acid mw and stable network of high molecular weight of CS. In contrast, CS55 and CS37 exhibited less dense morphologies. A comparison of the chemical binding energy change of the pristine CDHA, pristine CS, and CS37 nanocomposites was shown in Lepirudin the ESCA spectra. The ESCA analysis shows that the surface was mainly composed of N, Ca, and P atoms, which could represent the chemical structure and interaction of CS (N atom) and CDHA (Ca and P atoms). Figure 3a shows the ESCA data of N1s scan spectra in CS, CDHA, and CS37. The N1s peak in the pristine CS was found at 402.3 eV, implying the amino group of CS

(no peak existing in the pristine CDHA). However, the NH2 peak was shifted from 402.3 to 400.0 eV in the CS37, implying the complex formation of CS and CDHA. Two Ca2p peaks of the pristine CDHA were observed with the binding energy of 347.8 eV (2p 3/2) and 351.4 (2p 1/2), as indicated in Figure 3b. Two peaks (2p 3/2 348.0 eV and 2p3/2 351.6 eV) were exhibited in CS37 and displayed 0.2 eV chemical shift compared to the pristine CDHA, suggesting the formation of CDHA in the CS37 and some chemical interaction between CS and CDHA (no additional peak in the pristine CS). Similar with the ESCA spectrum of Ca2p , 0.8 eV (133.1-eV shift to 133.9 eV) chemical shifts were found between the pristine CDHA and CS37 in the P2p spectrum. These results indicate that the CDHA nanorods were grown in the CS matrix through in situ precipitated process.