Chitosan is less frequent in nature occurring in some fungi ( Mucoraceae). In contrast, in chitin, the number of acetylated residues is high enough to prevent the polymer for dissolving in aqueous acidic media.Ĭhitin is a very abundant biopolymer that can be found in the exoskeleton of crustacea, insect’s cuticles, algae and in the cell wall of fungi. Chitosan is soluble in aqueous acidic media via primary amine protonation. Finally, we briefly describe how making use of the technological properties of chitosan makes it possible to develop a variety of systems for drug delivery.Ĭhitin and its deacetylated derivative, chitosan, are a family of linear polysaccharides composed of varying amounts of (β1→4) linked residues of N-acetyl-2 amino-2-deoxy-D-glucose (glucosamine, GlcN) and 2-amino-2-deoxy-D-glucose ( N-acetyl-glucosamine, GlcNAc) residues. Then, we review two polymer applications related to green processes: the use of chitosan in the green synthesis of metallic nanoparticles and its use as support for biocatalysts. We focus on some of the main biological properties of chitosan and the relationship with the physicochemical properties of the polymer. In this review, we discuss how chitosan chemistry can solve the problems related to its poor solubility and can boost the polymer properties. Moreover, some of the biological properties claimed are discrete. These properties have a fundamental effect on the biological and technological performance of the polymer. Chitosan is not a single polymer with a defined structure but a family of molecules with differences in their composition, size, and monomer distribution. Another serious obstacle is directly related to its natural origin. Chitosan exhibits poor solubility in neutral and basic media, limiting its use in such conditions. Every year the number of publications and patents based on this polymer increase. Chitosan has garnered much interest due to its properties and possible applications.
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