title: Study of the interpolyelectrolyte reaction between chitosan and alginate: influence of alginate composition and chitosan molecular weight.
abstract: The interpolyelectrolyte reaction between chitosan (CHI) and alginate (ALG) was followed by conductimetry and potentiometry. Five chitosan samples, all with almost the same degree of N-acetylation (DA approximately 0.20) and molecular weights ranging from 5 x 10(3) to 2.5 x 10(5) Da were used. The polyelectrolyte complex was formed using alginate samples with three different M/G values (0.44, 1.31 and 1.96). The composition of the complex, Z (Z = [CHI]/[ALG]) resulted 0.70 +/- 0.02, independently of the molecular weight of chitosan and the composition of the alginate used. The degree of complexation was 0.51 with no dependence on the alginate composition.
authors.affiliation: IMRE, Universidad de La Habana, La Habana 10400, Cuba.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Becherán-Marón
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Peniche
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Argüelles-Monal
mesh_terms: D000464:Alginates / Q000737:chemistry*; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry*; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000737:chemistry; D020723:Glucuronic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D006603:Hexuronic Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009608:Nitrous Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D012996:Solutions
chemical_list: D000464:Alginates; D004573:Electrolytes; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D012996:Solutions; D020723:Glucuronic Acid; D048271:Chitosan; D009608:Nitrous Acid