Cationized and poly(ethylene glycol) modified chitosan derivatives and nanoparticles

The main aim of this work was to synthesize water-soluble chitosan-methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (MPEG) graft copolymers and quaternized derivative of chitosans of various structure and desirable graft density and to study their properties. Novel chitosan-MPEG derivatives containing triazolyl moiety with different degree of substitution of chitosan were prepared for the first time by “click chemistry”. Several new schemes of the synthesis of chitosan-C(6)-TMPEG and C(6)-quaternized chitosan derivatives were suggested based on protection of amino functionality by using chitosan-dodecyl sulfate complexes. Additional cationization of cationic chitosan through its hydroxyl groups in alkaline medium enabled to prepare N,O-quaternized chitosans derivatives with very high degree of quaternization. It was suggested method of enzymatic hydrolysis of quaternized chitosans which allow a tenfold decrease the molecular weight of chitosans derivatives. Modification of chitosan by tartaric, citric or adipic acid yielded partially crosslinked chitosan derivatives. Modification of chitosan and further modification of chitosan nanoparticles by dithiobenzendicarboxylate resulted in RAFT macroinitiators which are precursors of functionalized nanoparticles