Electrospinning chitosan is an inexpensive scalable processing method for creating continuous, randomly oriented, nanofibrous meshes. Chitin is a high-molecular weight linear polymer composed of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (N-acetyl-2-amino-2deoxy-D-glucopryanose) units linked by β-D (1→4) bonds. A nitrogen-rich polysaccharide, chitin is abundant in crustaceans, mollusks, insects, and fungi and is the second most abundant organic material (produced by biosynthesis) second to cellulose. Chitosan, the N-deacetylated derivative of chitin is environmentally friendly, non-toxic, biodegradable, and anti-bacterial. These characteristics in conjunction with the beneficial effects of increased surface area from its nanofiberous form make electrospun chitosan ideal for medical, packaging, agricultural, and automotive applications.

We have electrospun low, medium, and high molecular weight as well as a practical grade of chitosan. Since the as-spun fibers dissolved in water, cross-linking the fibers is an integral step toward developing devices such as filters that would require a biodegradable, antimicrobial, porous nanofibrous mat that would be insoluble in water. Hence, a novel vapor-phase cross-linking method was identified. Various composite fibers based on the chitosan fiber are also being investigated. Chemical, structural, and mechanical analyses have been conducted utilizing FTIR, SEM, and Kawabata microtensile testing respectively.