title: Kinetics of gelation and thermal sensitivity of N-isobutyryl chitosan hydrogels.
abstract: N-Acylation of chitosan with carboxylic anhydrides in dilute acetic acid/methanol has been a well documented strategy to selectively modify chitosan. Although this reaction is known to lead to irreversible gel formation, the kinetics and mechanism of this process have not so far been addressed. To this purpose, gel formation during the N-isobutyrylation of chitosan was investigated as a function of the reaction stoichiometry (R), chitosan concentration, and temperature by small deformation oscillatory rheology. Gel formation follows closely the chemical reaction and it proceeds predominantly under second-order kinetics as established from the dependence of critical gel time, t(gel), on R and concentration. The activation energy value derived from t(gel) vs 1/T data (E(a) = 68.29 +/- 1.80 kJ/mol) was almost identical to values reported for the chitosan N-acetylation reaction in previous studies. An excess isobutyric anhydride is suggested to be necessary for nucleation and hydrophobic association. The potential application of N-isobutyrylchitosan (NIBC) hydrogels in the design of thermally sensitive materials is also demonstrated.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Laboratory of Biopolymers, P.O. Box 1735, Hermosillo, Sonora, 83000 Mexico.
authors.forename: Leticia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Félix
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: Waldo M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Argüelles-Monal
authors.forename: Francisco M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Goycoolea
mesh_terms: D000215:Acylation; D000362:Agar / Q000737:chemistry; D000812:Anhydrides / Q000737:chemistry; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005944:Glucosamine / Q000737:chemistry; D006358:Hot Temperature; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / Q000737:chemistry*; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007700:Kinetics; D008956:Models, Chemical; D009991:Oscillometry; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000812:Anhydrides; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D020100:Hydrogels; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; D000362:Agar; D048271:Chitosan; D005944:Glucosamine