Sodium alginate extraction from brown seaweed (Turbinaria conoides) and its structural property as bipolymer electrolyte

This research was conducted to extract sodium alginate from Turbinaria conoides and its structural property as biopolymer electrolyte. The existence of brown seaweed (Turbinaria conoides) is abundant in Bangka Belitung Islands. The main content of brown seaweed is alginate that it can be used as biopolymer electrolyte. Sodium alginate extraction process in Turbinaria conoides was carried out at 60C with 5% Na2CO3 and the yield of sodium alginate was 13%. Sodium alginate is successfully extracted in Turbinaria conoides. Sodium alginate was characterized using FTIR. The results showed that sodium alginate extract had similar spectrum and same main fuctional group with commercial sodium alginate. Characterization structural property of biopolymer electrolyte by FTIR-ATR. the increasing NaI percentage in sodium alginate made shift of peak toward higher wavenumber. These shifting indicated increasing of interaction between NaI with polymer chain in alginate and degree of salt dispersion in polymer Keywords— sodium alginate, biopolymer electrolyte, DSSC, Turbinaria conoides