title: Effects of supercritical water and mechanochemical grinding treatments on physicochemical properties of chitin.
abstract: This study examined the effects of a combined pretreatment with supercritical water and mechanochemical grinding with a ball mill on the physicochemical properties of chitin and its enzymatic degradation. Following pretreatment with a combination of supercritical water and grinding, chitin had a lower mean molecular weight, a lower crystallinity index, a lower crystallite size, greater d-spacing, weaker hydrogen bonds, and the amide group was more exposed compared with untreated chitin. These properties increased the hydrophilicity of the chitin and enhanced its enzymatic degradation. The N,N'-diacetylchitobiose (GlcNAc)(2) yield after enzymatic degradation of chitin following pretreatment with supercritical water (400 °C, 1 min) and grinding (800 rpm, 10 min) was 93%, compared with 5% without any treatment, 37% with supercritical water pretreatment alone (400 °C, 1 min), and 60% with grinding alone (800 rpm, 30 min).
authors: Department of Chemical Engineering, Ichinoseki National College of Technology, Ichinoseki, Iwate, 021-8511, Japan. osada@ichinoseki.ac.jp
authors: Mitsumasa
authors: M
authors: Osada
authors: Chika
authors: C
authors: Miura
authors: Yuko S
authors: YS
authors: Nakagawa
authors: Mikio
authors: M
authors: Kaihara
authors: Mitsuru
authors: M
authors: Nikaido
authors: Kazuhide
authors: K
authors: Totani
mesh_terms: D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002686:Chitin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D004798:Enzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010316:Particle Size; D013499:Surface Properties; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004798:Enzymes; D014867:Water; D002686:Chitin