Abstract:
Quaternized chitosan/nano-zinc oxide (QAC/ZnO) hybrid colloidal particles were prepared by the self-assembly of quaternized chitosan (QAC),
L-cysteine (
L-cys) and the precursor of nano-zinc oxide Zn(CH
3COO)
2·2H
2O. The chemical composition of QAC/ZnO hybrid colloidal particles was determined by Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and thermogravimetic analysis(TG). The morphology and particle size of the hybrid colloidal particles were investigated in detail by means of Zeta potential analyzer, nanoparticle size analyzer and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The ultraviolet transmittance, oxidation resistance, photocatalytic activity and cytotoxicity of the hybrid colloidal particles were studied by UV-Vis spectroscopy and the
in vitro cell experiments. The results show that spherical QAC/ZnO hybrid colloidal particles can be successfully prepared by the self-assembly of QAC,
L-cys and the precursor of nano-zinc oxide, and the size of the hybrid colloidal particles can be controlled by the concentration of nano-zinc oxide precursor. QAC/ZnO hybrid colloidal particles have good ultraviolet shielding property, excellent antioxidant property and low cytotoxicity. Moreover, the photocatalytic activity of the QAC/ZnO hybrid colloidal particles are significantly reduced in comparison with ZnO. It is expected to be used in cosmetics as an ultraviolet absorbent.