Hydrodynamic studies on chitosans in aqueous solution

Three commercial chitosans with a degree of acetylation of 25-30% were studied by light scattering (static and dynamic), analytical ultracentrifugation (sedimentation velocity and sedimentation equilibrium), and capillary viscometry in 0.02 M acetate buffer/0.1 M NaCl, pH 4.5. The molecular masses obtained by sedimentation equilibrium measurements or sedimentation and diffusion coefficients according to the Svedberg equation agreed well or fairly well with those from static light scattering whereas the molecular masses calculated via the Scheraga-Mandelkern equation were found too low by almost 50%. The various Mark-Houwink type relationships suggested a nearly free-draining flexible worm-like chain. A prolate ellipsoid of revolution with an axial ratio a/b similar to 25 was shown to be a hydrodynamically equivalent body of the flexible worm-like chain that had been derived from static light scattering. The findings illustrate the fact that a hydrodynamically strongly asymmetric shape need not mean a strongly elongated shape of the molecules in reality. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.