Synthesis, Characterization and Application of Phosphorus-Containing Derivatives of Chitosan

Chitosan is a renewable and natural basic polysaccharide with a variety of excellent features. However,since the dissolution of chitosan is poor, it can only be dissolved in some dilute acids, which restricts its further research and application. Therefore, to exploit the unique properties and to realize the full potential of the versatile polysaccharides, attempts are being made to chemically modify them. Phosphorylation or phosphoryl modification of chitosan is one of the methods. In this paper, introducing phosphorus-containing groups into chitosan to form phosphorus-containing derivatives are reviewed. And their synthesis and purification methods, characterization of the structure, properties and applications are presented and discussed detailedly. Finally, the opinions with respect to prospects of phosphorus-containing derivatives of chitosan are proposed.