Water soluble derivatives obtained by controlled chemical modifications of chitosan

cited By 185International audienceChemical modifications of polysaccharides are increasingly studied as they have the potential of providing new applications for such abundant polymers. Water soluble chitosan derivatives (quaternized and N-carboxylated chitosans) are prepared, using techniques which allow homogeneous modifications without any sharp decrease in molecular weight, and characterized using NMR spectroscopy and viscometry. In addition a new method for nearly complete deacetylation of chitin is proposed and the role of the acid used for solubilizing chitosan derivatives is mentioned. © 1994