Various
properties of chitosan can be customized by thiolation
for very specific needs in a wide range of application areas. Since
the discovery of thiolated chitosans, many studies have proven their
advantageous characteristics, such as adhesion to biological surfaces,
adjustable cross-linking and swelling behavior, controllable drug
release, permeation as well as cellular uptake enhancement, inhibition
of efflux pumps and enzymes, complexation of metal ions, antioxidative
properties, and radical scavenging activity. Simultaneously, these
polymers remain biodegradable without increased toxicity. Within this
Review, an overview about the different possibilities to covalently
attach sulfhydryl ligands to the polymeric backbone of chitosan is
given, and the resulting versatile physiochemical properties are discussed
in detail. Furthermore, the broad spectrum of applications for thiolated
chitosans in science and industry, ranging from their most advanced
use in pharmaceutical and medical science over wastewater treatment
to the impregnation of textiles, is addressed.