Construction of a multifunctional dual-network chitosan composite aerogel with enhanced tunability.

Typically, the tailorable versatility of biomass aerogels is attributed to the tunable internal molecular structure, providing broad application prospects. Herein, a simple and novel preparation strategy for developing multifunctional dual-network chitosan/itaconic acid (CSI) aerogel with tunability by using freeze-drying and vacuum heat treatment techniques. By regulating the temperature and duration of amidation reaction, electrostatic interactions between chitosan (CS) and itaconic acid (IA) was abstemiously converted into amide bond in frozen aerogel, with IA acting as an efficient in-situ cross-linking agent, which yielded CSI aerogels with different electrostatic/covalent cross-linking ratios.