Synthesis, characterization and structural analysis of polylactide grafted onto water-soluble hydroxypropyl chitin as backbone

摘要

Chitin, a polysaccharide of β-(1→4)-linked N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, is one of the most abundant, easily obtained, and renewable natural polymers, second only to cellulose. It is commonly found in the exoskeletons or cuticles of many invertebrates and in the cell walls of most fungi and some algae [1,2]. this polymer is known to be nontoxic, odorless, and biocompatible in animal tissues, and enzymatically biodegradable. Much interest has been paid to its biomedical, ecological, and industrial application in the past decades. However, its rigid crystalline structure, poor solubility in organic solvents and poor processability has limited its use [3]. Chemical modification may become a breakthrough to promote utilization. Graft copolymerization on chitin is very attractive, being capable of affording novel hybrid materials based on this polysaccharide.