Chitosan derivatives containing 2.8-5.1 deoxycholic acid groups per 10
0 anhydroglucosamine units of chitosan were synthesized by an EDC-medi
ated coupling reaction. Physicochemical properties of self-aggregates
of the hydrophobically modified chitosans in aqueous media were studie
d by the dynamic light scattering method and fluorescence spectroscopy
. The mean diameter (d(H)) of DC4.2 self-aggregates in phosphate-buffe
red saline (PBS) solution (pH 7.2) was 159 nm with unimodal size distr
ibution (variance = 0.082). It seemed that the interparticle interacti
on between self-aggregates was almost negligible. The mean diameter de
creased with increasing degree of substitution (DS), pH, or ionic stre
ngth of the medium; The critical aggregation concentration (cac) of se
lf-aggregates was determined from the fluorescence emission spectra of
pyrene. The cac value of DC4.2 in PBS solution (pH 7.2) was 2.6 x 10(
-2) mg/mL. The cac values decreased with increasing DS, pH, or ionic s
trength of the medium.