Impacts of functional groups on the intermolecular forces of attraction in animal glue obtained from the femur bones of cow (<i>Bos taurus</i>)

Abstract

Functional groups in samples obtained from the femur bone of Cow (Bos taurus) were determined using Shidmazu Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) – 8300 spectroscopy. The bones were crushed, washed properly with warm water and immersed in lime solution for three days. Samples were then treated with dilute 20% hydrochloric acid (to release the collagen in the bone) dried and crushed to a particle size of 0.02 mm. Results obtained from FT-IR analyses shows the presence of alcohol, alkyne, carboxylic acid, phosphate, 1,3 disubstituted aromatics and haloalkanes at wavelength ranges of 3550 – 3200 cm-1, 2360 – 2014 cm-1, 1420 – 1320 cm-1, 1099 – 1039 cm-1, 970 – 890 cm-1 and 705 – 550 cm-1 respectively. The presence of functional groups with highly electronegative atoms such as two, three and four oxygen atoms in carboxylic acid, anhydrides and phosphates respectively in addition to the presence of halogens in haloalkanes and multiple bonds in alkyne, nitrile and alkenes increases the polarizability of the compounds thereby strengthening the weak intermolecular forces of attraction such as hydrogen bond and Van der Waal forces of the adhesive molecules which ultimately increases the adhesive strength and the force of cohesion of the animal glue produced.