Green Foaming of Biologically Extracted Chitin Hydrogels Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide for Scaffolding of Human Osteoblasts

Abstract

Chitin is a structural polysaccharide abundant in the biosphere. Chitin possesses a highly ordered crystalline structure that makes its processing a challenge. In this study, chitin hydrogels and methanogels, prepared by dissolution in calcium chloride/methanol, were subjected to supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) to produce porous materials for use as scaffolds for osteoblasts. The control of the morphology, porosity, and physicochemical properties of the produced materials was performed according to the operational conditions, as well as the co-solvent addition. The dissolution of CO2 in methanol co-solvent improved the sorption of the compressed fluid into the hydrogel, rendering highly porous chitin scaffolds. The chitin crystallinity index significantly decreased after processing the hydrogel in supercritical conditions, with a significant effect on its swelling capacity. The use of scCO2 with methanol co-solvent resulted in chitin scaffolds with characteristics adequate to the adhesion and proliferation of osteoblasts.