Synthesis and spectroscopic and electrochemical studies of chitosan Schiff base derivatives

Schiff derivatives were prepared by the reactions of salicylaldehyde and its derivatives (5-chloro, 5-methoxy, 5-fluoro, 5-methyl, 5-nitro) with the amino group of chitosan. The Schiff bases were studied by Fourier IR spectroscopy and by UV-visible spectroscopy. The cyclic voltammograms of the Schiff bases were analyzed and compared to those of chitosan and salicylaldehyde. The formal potential of the chitosan Schiff base derivative correlates with the Hammett parameters. The oxidation potential increases and the optical density decreases with enhancement of the electron-acceptor properties of the functional group R in the m-position to the -N=CH-group. Chitosan (Chi) is a polysaccharide whose chains consist of recurrent units of acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucode linked by the 1,4-β-glycoside bond. This polysaccharide was widely studied as drug carrier [1, 2], because it is nontoxic, biodegradable, and well biocompatible [3].