WATER-SOLUBLE DERIVATIVES OBTAINED BY CONTROLLED CHEMICAL MODIFICATIONS OF CHITOSAN

Chemical modifications of polysaccharides are increasingly studied as they have the potential of providing new applications for such abundan t polymers. Water soluble chitosan derivatives (quaternized and N-carb oxylated chitosans) are prepared, using techniques which allow homogen eous modifications without any sharp decrease in molecular weight, and characterized using NMR spectroscopy and viscometry. In addition a ne w method for nearly complete deacetylation of chitin is proposed and t he role of the acid used for solubilizing chitosan derivatives is ment ioned.