Chitosan Functionalization: Covalent and Non-Covalent Interactions and Their Characterization

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Chitosan (CS) is a natural biopolymer valued for biocompatibility, biodegradability, and mechanical strength.
• Its low cost and versatile structure enable extensive chemical modifications to tailor properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review state-of-the-art chitosan derivatization strategies from the past five years.
• To provide a comprehensive overview of covalent and non-covalent functionalization methods.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of functionalization strategies for chitosan.
• Categorization of modifications into covalent, non-covalent, and combined approaches.
• Discussion of characterization techniques for CS derivatives.

Main Results:

• Detailed description of covalent modifications on the CS backbone.
• Overview of non-covalent modifications using small molecules, proteins, and metal adjuvants.
• Presentation of CS-based systems incorporating both covalent and electrostatic patterns.

Conclusions:

• Chitosan functionalization offers a wide array of strategies to enhance its properties.
• Recent advancements focus on diverse modification patterns and advanced characterization.
• Derivatized chitosan holds significant potential across various research fields.