Separation of chitosan by degree of acetylation using simple free solution capillary electrophoresis

Mariam Mnatsakanyan, Joel J. Thevarajah, Rozet Sallom Roi, Antonio Lauto, Marianne Gaborieau, Patrice Castignolles

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    24 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Chitosan is a biopolymer of increasing significance, as well as a renewable and sustainable material. Its main molecular characteristics are molar mass and degree of acetylation (composition). Precise average degrees of acetylation were measured by quantitative 1H solution-state NMR spectroscopy. While number-average degrees of acetylation had already been determined by 1H NMR spectroscopy, weight-average degrees of acetylation are also determined and may be more relevant for some properties, such as mechanical properties. We report the first separation of chitosan according to its degree of acetylation using free solution capillary electrophoresis. Capillary electrophoresis separates chitosan in the ‘critical conditions’: the molar mass plays little role and the separation is by the degree of acetylation. It characterises the heterogeneity of chitosan samples in terms of composition (dispersity of the distribution of degrees of acetylation). This heterogeneity (broad distribution of degrees of acetylation) cannot be neglected contrary to a common assumption found in the literature. This fast and easy separation will allow establishing a structure–property relationships.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)6873-6877
    Number of pages5
    JournalAnalytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry
    Volume405
    Issue number21
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2013

    Keywords

    • chitosan

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