Article

Starting from a chitosan sample with a degree of deacetylation of 71%, three separate sample sets were generated by successive deacetylation and reacetylation processes. The degree of deacetylation of samples was determined by UV spectrometry supported by thermogravimetric analysis. The molecular weight of chitosan samples was determined in a solvent system of 0.25 M CH3COOH/0.25 M CH3COONa, using viscometry and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) with a TSK-gel column. The first set of samples had a similar degree of deacetylation (DDA) but differing molecular weights. The second set of samples had a similar molecular weight but differing degrees of deacetylation. The Mark-Houwink-Sakurada constants used for the determination of viscosity average molecular weight and the universal calibration of the GPC system were K = 1.40 × 10-4 dL/g and a = 0.83. Results showed that molecular weights determined from both techniques are in good accord only at lower degrees of deacetylation. This may be attributed to the fact that the chemical structure of chitosan samples could have been largely altered with increasing or decreasing degree of deacetylation. Nevertheless, the trend with which the molecular weights vary with the deacetylation time is consistent over a limited DDA range. A literature review of molecular weight analysis of chitosan is included.Key words: chitosan, degree of deacetylation, gel permeation chromatography, molecular weight, viscometry.