Phosphorylation of chitosan (chitin) surface with PCl3

The synthesis and antimicrobial activity of copper chitosan phosphates complexes are presented. Chitosan (Cts) surface phosphorylations were achieved by its exposure to phosphorus trichloride (PCl3) vapors. The formed chitosan-dichlorophosphines (Cts-[Y-PCl2]z; Y = N,O; z ≤ 3) were hydrolyzed to chitosan-hydrogenphosphates (Cts-[Y-P(O)(H)(OH)]z), the chemo-physical and biological properties of which were analyzed. The performed antimicrobial tests of the synthesized Cts-[Y-P(O)(H)(OH)]z×Cu2+ against representative Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) revealed their potential applications as an antibacterial material.