Functional Polymers Based on Dextran

Abstract

Dextran, comprising a family of neutral polysaccharides consisting of an α-(1→6) linked d-glucose main chain with varying proportions of linkages and branches, depending on the bacteria used, is an interesting starting material for chemical modification reactions for the design of new functional polymers with promising properties. The review summarises recent results on structure characterisation of dextran including some comments on biosynthesis of this important class of biopolymers. Applications of dextran are discussed as well. Chemical modification reactions of dextran are increasingly studied for the structure and hence property design. The review highlights recent progress in esterification of dextran, both inorganic and organic polysaccharide esters, etherification reactions towards ionic and non-ionic ethers, and the huge variety of different conversions mainly developed for the binding of drugs. It summarises recent developments in the application of dextran derivatives with a focus on the chemical structures behind these materials such as prodrugs, bioactivity of inorganic dextran esters, heparin sulfate mimics, hydrogels, nanoparticles and self assembly structures for surface modification. Keywords Functionalised dextran • Structural analysis • Prodrugs • Nanostructures • Bioactivity Abbreviations AFM Atomic force microscopy AGU Anhydroglucose units AT Antithrombin AZT Azidothymidine BSH Na 2 B 12 H 11 SH BSA Bovine serum albumin CAC Critical association concentration CDI N,N -Carbonyldiimidazole CMC Critical micelle concentration CMD Carboxymethyl dextran CMDB Carboxymethyl dextran benzylamide CMDBSSu Carboxymethyl dextran benzylamidesulfonate sulfate CMDBSu Carboxymethyl dextran benzylamide sulfate CMDEE Carboxymethyl dextran ethyl ester CMDSu Carboxymethyl dextran sulfate COSY Two-dimensional correlated spectroscopy CsA Cyclosporin A 2D Two-dimensional Dach-Pt cis-Dihydroxo(cyclohexane-trans-l-1,2-diamine)platinum II DCC N,N -Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide T. Heinze et al.

Synthesis and self-assembly behavior of amphiphilic diblock copolymer dextran-block-poly(ε-caprolactone) (DEX-b-PCL) in aqueous media

“…Un-conjugated dextran itself does not react with HEMI-PCL and could be removed in the purification process. The reasons for the limited conversion may be that only 0.024% of the terminal hydroxyls in dextran take the reac- tive free aldehyde form in a neutral solution under equilibrium due to the mutarotation phenomenon [22], and that the imine formation is a reversible and slow reaction which limited the overall reaction rate [41]. The last step of DEX-b-PCL synthesis, azaMichael addition between the amino group at the end of EDA-DEX block and the maleimide group at the end of HEMI-PCL block, was rather straightforward.…”

“…In the present study, we selected dextran as the hydrophilic segment to prepare an amphiphilic diblock polymer. Dextran is widely used as blood substitution, drug carriers and aqueous phase material for protein purification because its definite biocompatibility, biodegradability, hydrophilicity and high affinity to bio-macromolecules [22,23]. In addition, dextran possesses multiple hydroxyls which are convenient for chemical modification to endow polymersome surfaces with various desired functions such as drug-targeting and diagnostic recognition.…”

Synthesis of Superabsorbent Polymer via Inverse Suspension Method: Effect of Carbon Filler

“…The crosslinked structure of this polymer allows it to maintain a stable network even in its swollen state [2]. Acrylic monomers or polymers, polyacrylamide and other polyacrylates are the most widely chosen as the raw materials to form high performance superabsorbent materials [3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. SAP can also be associated with another class of compound or substances resulting in a composite superabsorbent polymers.…”

Tailoring the Surface of a Gene Delivery Vector with Carboxymethylated Dextran: A Systematic Analysis

“…16 Dextran and CMD being highly hydrophilic, flexible, and easy to functionalize, these polymers have also been employed as lowfouling versatile coatings that limit nonspecific adsorption at the surface of surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based biosensor chips 14 and multiple-well plates for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). 17 Taken together, those properties make the CMD polymer family an interesting candidate for nanoparticle coating in the context of nucleic acid delivery for gene therapy.…”