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Influence of trimethylsilylation and detrimethylsilylation on the molecular weight of chitin: Evaluation of viscometry and gel permeation chromatography for molecular weight determination

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Abstract

In view of the high potential of trimethylsilylated chitin as a reaction precursor, the influence of trimethylsilylation and detrimethylsilylation on the molecular weight characteristics has been studied. Chitin was trimethylsilylated, and the product was detrimethylsilylated to regenerate chitin. The molecular weights of the original and regenerated chitins were determined by viscometry and GPC. The viscosity measurements, with either an Ubbelohde or a rotational viscometer, gave highly reproducible values, which were quite similar to each other. The molecular weight of the regenerated chitin was found to be a little over a half that of the original chitin despite after the silylation-desilylation reactions. GPC also supported a similarly low extent of main chain scission. These results indicate that the silylation-desilylation reactions are reproducible without a significant damage to the chitin main chain, and both viscometry and GPC have proved reliable in elucidating the molecular weight characteristics. Trimethylsilylation of chitin can thus be conveniently used as a key intermediate for further controlled modification reactions to prepare well-defined derivatives.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials and Life Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Seikei University, Musashino-shi, 180-8633, Tokyo, Japan

    Kazuhiro Sugita, Jin Yang & Keisuke Kurita

  2. Research and Development Department, Toyo Suisan Kaisha, Ltd., Kohnan, Minato-ku, 108-8501, Tokyo, Japan

    Manabu Shimojoh

Authors
  1. Kazuhiro Sugita
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  2. Jin Yang
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  3. Manabu Shimojoh
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  4. Keisuke Kurita
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Correspondence to Keisuke Kurita.

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Sugita, K., Yang, J., Shimojoh, M. et al. Influence of trimethylsilylation and detrimethylsilylation on the molecular weight of chitin: Evaluation of viscometry and gel permeation chromatography for molecular weight determination . Polym. Bull. 60, 449–455 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00289-007-0877-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00289-007-0877-3

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