Nanofibrillar Cellulose‐Chitosan Composite Film Electrodes: Competitive Binding of Triclosan, Fe(CN)63−/4−, and SDS Surfactant

Glassy carbon electrodes are modified with a thin film of a cellulose-chitosan nanocomposite. Cellulose nanofibrils (of ca. 4 nm diameter and 250 nm length) are employed as an inert backbone and chitosan (poly-D-glucosamine, low molecular weight, 75–85% deacetylated) is introduced as a structural binder and “receptor” or molecular binding site. The composite films are formed in a solvent evaporation method and prepared in approximately 0.8 μm thickness. The adsorption of three molecular systems into the cellulose-chitosan films is investigated and approximate Langmuirian binding constants are evaluated: i) Fe(CN)64− (KFerrocyanide=2.2×103 mol−1 dm3 in 0.1 M phosphate buffer at pH 6) is observed to bind to ammonium chitosan functionalities (present at pH<7), ii) triclosan (KTriclosan=2.6×103 mol−1 dm3 in 0.1 M phosphate buffer pH 9.5) is shown to bind only weakly and under alkaline conditions, and iii) the anionic surfactant dodecylsulfate (KSDS=3.3×104 mol−1 dm3 in 0.1 M phosphate buffer pH 6) is shown to bind relatively more strongly in acidic media. The competitive binding of Fe(CN)64− and dodecylsulfate anions is proposed as a way to accumulate and indirectly determine the anionic surfactant.