The synthesis of new chitosan derivatives and their complete characterization by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared, thermogravimetric analysis, and cross-polarity/magic-angle-spinning C-13 NMR is described. A chitosan that was 96.5% deacetylated and had a viscosimetric molecular weight of 131,000 g/mol was prepared. N-(3,5-Diethylaminobenzoyl) chitosan with a degree of substitution of 29% and N-(4-ethylaminobenzoyl) chitosan with a degree of substitution of 60% were obtained. Such derivatives could be used as metal-chelating polymers, as flocculants, and in biomedical applications because of the aryl amine moieties in their structure. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.