Facile Graft Copolymerization of Chitosan Powder with Methyl Acrylate Using Ceric Ammonium Nitrate

Chitosan-g-MA was prepared with methyl acrylate using ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) as an initiator under nitrogen atmosphere in aqueous solution and characterized by FTIR spectroscopy. The effects of concentration of CAN, the amount of MA, reaction temperature on graft copolymerization were studied by determining the grafting percentage and grafting efficiency. The maximum grafting percentage and grafting efficiency obtained under these conditions were 640 % and 68 %, respectively.