Tailored Chitin Copolyesters: A Study of Butyric-Succinic Derivative for Advanced Material Applications

Chitin and its derivatives have been of interest to researchers for many years. However, due to its poor solubility, it is challenging to use chitin in various applications, and therefore, the search continues for ways to obtain soluble chitin derivatives. This study aimed to synthesise chitin esters, which could later be used to produce antibacterial materials. The esterification of chitin was carried out using butyric anhydride, succinic anhydride and methanesulfonic acid as catalysts. The products were analysed using FTIR ATR, 1 H NMR and TGA techniques. The different ratios of the butyric and succinic acid groups enable the control of the surface properties of the copolymer-made films.