Synthesis and Characterization of Carboxymethylene Chitosan Micro and Nanoparticles for the Delivery of Ocular Medications — 21a — Winifred Mangwi*, Maysa Gillingham*, Caleb DeWitt*, Zachary Schulte, and Jetty L. Duffy-Matzner

The biocompatibility and biodegradability of chitosan enables it to be an effective compound for making and layering calcium carbonate hybrid microspheres that increase bioavailability of ocular medication by lessening dosage and number of applications. Chitosan was reacted with monochloroacetic acid under basic conditions to synthesize carboxymethyl chitosan. The chemical reaction was confirmed using attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy, pH titration and the molecular weight was determined using viscosity measurements. The carboxymethyl chitosan was used to make calcium carbonate microspheres which were layered using chitosan and hyaluronic acid. The layering was confirmed using infrared spectroscopy.

Augustana University
Dr. Jetty Duffy-Matzner