Study of the Synthesis of Dextran Derivatives

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Abstract
The synthesis of biologically active high-molecular compounds offers an interesting subject for study in polymer chemistry. Dextran, one of the best blood plasma expanders, is a good product for use in synthesizing biologically active water-soluble polymers. This paper discusses the synthesis of water-soluble derivatives of dextran which can be used as drug carriers or as independent physiologically active compounds. The synthesis of these derivatives involved oxidation of dextran, O-alkylation of dextran, subsequent transformation of ethers of dextran containing reactive functional groups, and graft polymerization. Periodate oxidation of dextran resulted in the production of a derivative of dextran containing aldehyde groups: dialdehydedextran. Subsequent oxidation of dialdehyde-dextran with sodium chlorite permitted the introduction of carboxyl groups into the macromolecule of dextran. In order to introduce sulfonic acid, phosphonic, mercapto, chlorhydrinic, cyano, and aromatic amino groups into the macromolecule of dextran, dextran was alkylated with various alkylating reagents. The synthesized products were sulfopropyl, phosphonomethyl, mercaptoethyl, 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl, cyanoethyl, and 2-(3′-amino-4′-methoxyphenyl)-sulfonylethyl ethers of dextran. Treatment of the 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl ether of dextran with ammonia, amines, and aliphatic and aromatic amino acids produced ethers of dextran containing primary, secondary, and tertiary amino groups and quaternary ammonium groups, as well as residual aliphatic and aromatic amino acids. Cyanethyl ether of dextran was used to synthesize derivatives of dextran containing thioamide and hydrazidine groups. Graft copolymers of dextran and polyacrylic acid and of dextran and poly-2-methyl-5-vinylpyridine were synthesized. Redox systems were utilized to initiate graft copolymerizatLon with tetravalent cerium compounds used as oxidants and pentavalent vanadium with dextran or 2-(3′-amino-4′-methoxyphenyl)-sulfonylethyl ether of dextran used as reductant. This method produced graft copolymers with short graft chains. The availability of the above derivatives of dextran has permitted the linking of drugs to dextran by different types of chemical bonds.