4 Chitosan-Based Functional Nanomaterials
Chitosan is the principle derivative of chitin, which is the second-most naturally
occurring polysaccharide after cellulose. Chitosan has an amino group in the C-2
position and OH groups in the C-3 and C-5 positions and can react with functional
nanomaterials by various kinds of mechanisms. The current developing interest is
the functionalization of chitosan derivatives in the form of nanomaterials to provide
new strategies for a wide range of applications like multifunctional QD-based
magnetic chitosan beads [198], synthesis and characterization of monodispersed
chitosan nanoparticles with embedded QDs [199], synthesis of green CdSe/chitosan
QDs using a polymer-assisted γ-radiation route [200], water-soluble chitosan QDs
hybrid nanospheres for bioimaging and biolabeling [201], etc.
The authors’ laboratory has demonstrated some of these unique functional
nanomaterials, particularly those based on chitosans [202]. The preparation of
QDs, chitosan-GNP derivatives, and fullerene-based chitosan derivatives, and the
immobilization of gold nanoparticles onto thiol-functionalized chitosans are shown
in Fig. 1.
5 Applications of Chitosan-Based Functionalized
Nanomaterials: Biomedical and Industrial Applications
It is assumed that nanotechnology will provide new tools for medicine using the
new techniques of material design and uses. It could radically change the way that
surgery is done. It will make it possible to do molecular-scale surgery to replace
defective cells and to repair and rearrange cells. Since disease is the result of
physical disorder, i.e., misarranged molecules and cells, medicine at this level
should be able to cure most diseases. Mutations in DNA could be repaired and
cancer cells, toxic chemicals, and viruses could be destroyed through the use of
medical nanodevices. Nanotechnology has the power to radically change the way
cancer is diagnosed, imaged, and treated. Currently, there is a lot of research going
on to design novel nanodevices capable of detecting cancer at its earliest stages,
pinpointing its location within the body and delivering anticancer drugs specifically
to malignant cells. In recent years, nanotechnology has found innumerable
applications in the field of medicine: from drug delivery systems, nanorobots, and
cell repair machines to imaging, nanoparticles, and nanonephrology. Owing to the
extensive use of nanomaterials in medical equipment and devices, nanomedicine
has become a significant branch of nanotechnology. Some of the potential
applications are tissue engineering, wound healing, cancer diagnostics, and drug
delivery.
The primary objective of the drug delivery system is to make the life-saving drug
available in that part of the body where it is required the most. Most of the time,
these systems fail to work efficiently because the particles of the drug are too large
34
P. Dutta et al.
Chitosan is the principle derivative of chitin, which is the second-most naturally
occurring polysaccharide after cellulose. Chitosan has an amino group in the C-2
position and OH groups in the C-3 and C-5 positions and can react with functional
nanomaterials by various kinds of mechanisms. The current developing interest is
the functionalization of chitosan derivatives in the form of nanomaterials to provide
new strategies for a wide range of applications like multifunctional QD-based
magnetic chitosan beads [198], synthesis and characterization of monodispersed
chitosan nanoparticles with embedded QDs [199], synthesis of green CdSe/chitosan
QDs using a polymer-assisted γ-radiation route [200], water-soluble chitosan QDs
hybrid nanospheres for bioimaging and biolabeling [201], etc.
The authors’ laboratory has demonstrated some of these unique functional
nanomaterials, particularly those based on chitosans [202]. The preparation of
QDs, chitosan-GNP derivatives, and fullerene-based chitosan derivatives, and the
immobilization of gold nanoparticles onto thiol-functionalized chitosans are shown
in Fig. 1.
5 Applications of Chitosan-Based Functionalized
Nanomaterials: Biomedical and Industrial Applications
It is assumed that nanotechnology will provide new tools for medicine using the
new techniques of material design and uses. It could radically change the way that
surgery is done. It will make it possible to do molecular-scale surgery to replace
defective cells and to repair and rearrange cells. Since disease is the result of
physical disorder, i.e., misarranged molecules and cells, medicine at this level
should be able to cure most diseases. Mutations in DNA could be repaired and
cancer cells, toxic chemicals, and viruses could be destroyed through the use of
medical nanodevices. Nanotechnology has the power to radically change the way
cancer is diagnosed, imaged, and treated. Currently, there is a lot of research going
on to design novel nanodevices capable of detecting cancer at its earliest stages,
pinpointing its location within the body and delivering anticancer drugs specifically
to malignant cells. In recent years, nanotechnology has found innumerable
applications in the field of medicine: from drug delivery systems, nanorobots, and
cell repair machines to imaging, nanoparticles, and nanonephrology. Owing to the
extensive use of nanomaterials in medical equipment and devices, nanomedicine
has become a significant branch of nanotechnology. Some of the potential
applications are tissue engineering, wound healing, cancer diagnostics, and drug
delivery.
The primary objective of the drug delivery system is to make the life-saving drug
available in that part of the body where it is required the most. Most of the time,
these systems fail to work efficiently because the particles of the drug are too large
34
P. Dutta et al.