Do You Really Know Chitosan?

Introduction

Chitosan is white or grayish white with a slight pearl luster. It is a translucent amorphous solid that decomposes at approximately 185 °C. It is insoluble in water and dilute alkali solutions, soluble in dilute organic acids and some inorganic acids (hydrochloric acid), but insoluble in dilute sulfuric acid, dilute nitric acid, dilute phosphoric acid, oxalic acid, etc.

Chitosan contains both hydroxyl and amino groups, which can generate a variety of derivatives with different structures and properties through reactions such as acylation, carboxylation, hydroxylation, cyanation, etherification, alkylation, esterification, aldimidination, azidation, salt formation, chelation, hydrolysis, oxidation, halogenation, grafting and cross-linking.

Research and Development History

In 1811, French scientist H. Braconnot extracted chitin from the carapace of animals.

In 1859, French Rouget boiled chitin in a concentrated KOH solution, washed and dissolved in organic acids to obtain chitosan.

In 1934, a patent on the preparation of chitosan and related substances first appeared in the United States, and chitosan artificial skin and surgical sutures were successfully prepared in 1941.

In the 1990s, the application and production of chitosan reached a climax—the global annual output of chitosan is tens of thousands of tons.

At present, the finished chitosan product with the best purification process is developed by the Institute of Marine Biology, University of Brittany in the south of France. Through advanced bioengineering technology, the acetyl group in chitin is gradually removed to reach a purity of 55% higher than the common grade deacetylation degree. At present, 70% of the global chitosan pharmaceutical raw materials come from the Brittany area, and the pharmaceutical grade chitosan produced by it is a finished product with a deacetylation degree of more than 95%. Chitosan with a deacetylation purity of more than 95% is highly pure and has extremely strong activity. It is mainly used in the medical field and has a rapid repair for wound healing. The pleiotropic effects of highly purified chitosan have been increasingly sought after by surgeons.

Properties of Chitosan

Chitosan is a rare basic polysaccharide in natural polymers, insoluble in water and organic solvents, while soluble in dilute acids with Ph

Matexcel is a leading service provider in materials science, with years of commitment to supply better polymers, nanoparticles and other materials for worldwide customers from both academia and industry.