Abstract
The insolubility in neutral condition is a major problem that confronts the further development of processing and uses of chitosan. Special emphasis has been put on the chemical modification of chitosan to explore its full potential. Studies on these methods are also encouraging and many kinds of water-soluble and alcohol-soluble derivatives have appeared. In this article, hydroxybutyl chitosan, a new type of thermosensitive polymer, was prepared through the chemical modification of 1,2-epoxybutane. Hydroxybutyl chitosan solution underwent sol/gel phase transition at a certain temperature lower than 20 °C, however, at high temperature, hydroxybutyl chitosan can form hydrogel with a certain mechanical strength. Hydroxybutyl chitosan could be an ideal themosensitive material applied in drug delivery system, tissue engineering and other biomedical fields.
© 2013 by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co.
