Persistent Free Volume Governs (Anti-)plasticization in Chitosan-Water Mixtures

TL;DR

This study uses molecular dynamics simulations to reveal how persistent free volume regions influence (anti-)plasticization in chitosan-water mixtures, providing insights for designing better biopolymer materials.

Contribution

It introduces a simple free volume model that explains the molecular mechanisms behind (anti-)plasticization in hydrated chitosan, linking free volume connectivity to mechanical properties.

Findings

Free volume accessibility correlates with elastic property changes.

Polymer-water interactions can weaken or strengthen polymer networks.

Connectivity of additive-accessible regions governs free volume accessibility.

Abstract

Chitosan is a highly versatile and sustainable polymer with a broad range of potential biological and materials engineering applications. Despite its versatility, the native brittleness of chitosan limits its broader utilization. This limitation can be addressed by blending chitosan with small-molecule additives to modulate its thermomechanical properties. We employ molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the mechanism underlying antiplasticization followed by plasticization at increasing water content. Decomposition of the elastic moduli reveals a competition between weakened polymer-polymer interactions and enhanced polymer-water interactions, with their relative strengths governing the resulting properties. We introduce a simple model incorporating dynamically accessible free volume regions as a key driver of polymer mobility, effectively capturing the (anti-)plasticization of elastic properties. We show that accessibility of free volume regions is enabled by connectivity of additive-accessible volume regions. This study provides new insights into the molecular interactions that dictate the properties of chitosan-water mixtures and may inform the rational design of chitosan-based materials and other hydrated biopolymers.