TY - JOUR
T1 - Separation of chitosan by degree of acetylation using simple free solution capillary electrophoresis
AU - Mnatsakanyan, Mariam
AU - Thevarajah, Joel J.
AU - Roi, Rozet Sallom
AU - Lauto, Antonio
AU - Gaborieau, Marianne
AU - Castignolles, Patrice
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - chitosan
UR - http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/528888
U2 - 10.1007/s00216-013-7126-4
DO - 10.1007/s00216-013-7126-4
M3 - Article
SN - 1618-2642
VL - 405
SP - 6873
EP - 6877
JO - Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry
JF - Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry
IS - 21
ER -