Distribution of the Degree of Deacetylation of Surface-Deacetylated Chitin Nanofibers: Effects on Crystalline Structure and Cell Adhesion and Proliferation.

The degree of deacetylation (DD) of chitinous nanofibers (NFs) has been shown to significantly influence their bioactivity. However, the relationship between the cell affinity of NFs and the detailed structural features within NFs remains unclear and provides the focus of this study. Commercially available chitin nanofiber (ChNF) was deacetylated by high-concentration alkaline treatment in the nanofibrous state.