STAGE I/202 SUMMARY:

• The raw materials (from renewable sources) were functionalized as follows: chitosan was grafted with furyl groups and castor oil with maleimide groups.
• The structure of the resulting compounds was elucidated using FTIR and ¹H-NMR spectroscopies.
• Crosslinking of chitosan proceeded through the Diels-Alder reaction of the furyl groups grafted onto its backbone and the maleimidic ones from the functionalized castor oil structure.
• All the result indicators foreseen in the "project implementation plan" were achieved: 1 participation in scientific events (1 oral presentation), creation of the project website.

STAGE II/2023 SUMMARY:

• A model compound was obtained; its structure and the ones of reaction intermediates were confirmed using ATR-FTIR and 1H-NMR spectroscopies.
• The crosslinking of chitosan grafted with furyl units proceeded through its DA reaction with maleimide functionalized castor oil; the structure of biofilms was highlighted using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy.
• Thermogravimetric analysis showed an improvement in the thermal stability of chitosan by grafting, a stability that increases even more by cross-linking.
• DSC analysis demonstrated the thermoreversibility of polymer films characterized by the appearance of the endothermic peak on the heating curve.
• Optimal conditions were found to highlight thermal regeneration over several heating cycles in the case of model compound.
• All the result indicators foreseen in the "project implementation plan" were achieved: 1 paper sent to be published in a journal Q1 or Q2; 3 participations in scientific events.

STAGE III/2024 SUMMARY:

• The AFM study used to evaluate thermal regeneration, also demonstrated a recovery, from morphological point of view, after heat treatment of the lithographed film.

• All the indicators proposed in the project implementation plan were achieved: 1 article sent for publication