Preparation and characterization of complexes of RE3+ with furfural modified water-soluble chitosan

Degraded chitosan, with highly water-solubility, was obtained by the oxidation of chitosan with H2O2, and then reacted with furfural. The final product coordinated with the rare earth ions (RE3+ = Sm3+, Eu3+), which led to the formation of the complexes. The prepared complexes were characterized with Infrared Spectroscopy (IR), Ultra Violet (UV), fluorescence, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and Thermogravimetric-Differential Scanning Calorimetry (TG-DSC) measurements.