I am working with low DD% chitosan. It doesn't dissolve completely in acidic solutions. How to calculate the degree of deacetylation by potentiometric and acid-base titration, UV spectroscopic analysis, or other colorimetric assays; as these assays may require a clear solution for reading?
Can undissolved chitosan particles create errors in the result?
I am using the titration method.
Chitosan with a known concentration was dissolved in an organic acid (Acetic Acid). The chitosan solution (-NH3 + groups of chitosan) was then titrated with a dilute alkali solution (NaOH), while the pH of the chitosan solution was measured. The variation of pH for chitosan solution as a function of added alkali volume was plotted. This plot has two inflection points. The difference between the volumes of alkali necessary for the two inflection points equals the amount of alkali that is consumed for the conversion of the amine groups into ammonium salts. The DA is determined from the amount of alkali volume consumed for the conversion.
you may find other methods from (Kasaai et al., 2009).
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