Preparation of Nonnatural Branched Chitin and Chitosan

Abstract N-Acetyl-D-glucosamine and D-glucosamine branches were introduced into chitin and chitosan, respectively, by a series of regioselective modification reactions based on N-phthaloyl-chitosan. Unlike insoluble chitin and chitosan, the resulting nonnatural branched amino polysaccharides showed a remarkable water solubility. Moreover, the branched chitosan exhibited significant antimicrobial activity.