PHARMANEST : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ADVANCES IN PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES - Volume 4, Issue 6, November - December 2013

Pages: 1177-1185

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SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CHITIN ACETATE/PROPIONATE MIXED ESTERS

Author: DEEPAK KUMAR JINDAL, S K SINGH*

Category: Pharmaceutical Sciences

Abstract:

Chitin, the natural biocompatible and biodegradable polymer has limited pharmaceutical and biomedical applications owing to its insolubility in common solvents. In the present investigation, a series of chitin acetate/propionate mixed esters with different content of acetyl and propionyl groups has been synthesized by the esterification of chitin with different ratios of acetic and propionic anhydride in the presence of perchloric acid as the catalyst under heterogenous conditions. Pure chitin dipropionate and chitin diacetate were also synthesized by using the same reaction and their structures were characterized by FTIR and 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The degree of substitution of propionyl and acetyl groups was 0.63-1.75 and 0.23-1.35, respectively as determined by 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The expected solubility in common solvents would result in the formation of various types of materials such as film, fiber etc. for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications.

Keywords: Chitin, Esterification, Chitin acetate/propionate, NMR, Mixed ester