| There is much interest in the use of biopolymers for potential commercial applications based on their relative abundance and low cost. Chitosan, derived from the deacylation of chitin, in turn obtained from crustacean shells, has been shown to have potential uses in drug delivery, phosphate binding in dialysis patients and as a filter for waste effluent containing heavy metal ions. However, the binding capacity of the biopolymer is greatly dependent on pH and ions only weakly sorb onto the surface.;We have synthesized a series of pendant arm macrocycles based on cyclam (1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane) and tetA (meso-5,5,7,12,12,14-hexamethy1-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane), that bear pendant bromoalkyl groups. These have been used as precursors to derivatize chitosan. Characterization has been afforded by ATR-FTIR, TGA, H-1 NMR, and XRD.;Polyazamacrocycles are well known to complex a wide range of metal ions. Hence our goal in this work is to derivatize chitosan using tetraazamacrocycles, with the aim of developing modified biopolymers that may exhibit strong and selective binding for both transition metal ions and phosphate (the latter is important in the treatment of hyperphosphataemia). |
