Preparation and characterization of thiolated alginate using esterification method for biomedical application

Thiolated alginate, a biopolymer with unique adhesive and mucoadhesive properties, has gathered significant interest in the field of biomaterials for its potential applications in drug delivery, tissue engineering, and wound healing. This study presents a novel approach for synthesizing the thiolated alginate by the esterification of hydroxyl groups of alginate with carboxyl group of thioglycolic acid. The successful esterification was confirmed by Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) which demonstrated the characteristic peaks corresponding to ester linkages.