Synthesis and characterization of new biodegradable hyaluronan alkyl derivatives

Several new biocompatible and degradable materials were prepared by chemical modification of sodium hyaluronate. The method of activation of hyaluronate by cyanogen bromide was used and subsequent reaction with nucleophile led to the formation of carbamate. This modification of hydroxyl groups of glycosaminoglycans preserves the carboxyl groups and retains properties of polyelectrolyte. This method affords derivatives easily and the reaction condition correlates with degree of substitution. The experimental results show the effect of reaction conditions (reaction time, ratio of reactants) and effect of substitution on biodegradability. The obtained materials were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 82: 74–79, 2006 This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The “Published Online” date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com