Author(s)

Sueng Hwan Jo¹, Changyong Choi², Soo-Kyung Choi³

¹School of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea.
²Petrochemical Process Engineering Department, Hanyeong University, Yeosu, Jeollanam-do, Republic of Korea.
³Technical Research Center, LCGen Co., Ltd., Gwangju, Republic of Korea.

α- and β-chitosan with molecular weight of 190,000 and 800,000 respectively, were depolymerized by e-beam irradiation with various doses. The radiation yield of scission (G_s) and degradation rate of the chitosans were identified. The synergistic chemical degradation in the presence of hydrogen peroxide is more effective at lower doses. M_w of β-chitosan was dramatically decreased from 800,000 to 21,030 at the irradiation dose 5 kGy, on the other hand, that of α-chitosan was decreased much more gradually from 190,000 to 36,000. The values of G_s at 10 kGy in the solution without H₂O₂ and with H₂O₂ were respectively 6.09 × 10^-5 mol/cal and 30.6 × 10^-5 mol/cal for α-Chitosan, and 8.18 × 10^-5 mol/cal and 43.8 × 10^-5 mol/cal for β-chitosan. It was obviously effective on depolymerization by using the combination of e-beam and H₂O₂. α-Chitosan molecules are likely to adopt a diffuse conformation in the solution and make the different morphologies depending on the concentration.

α- and β-Chitosan, Conformation, Depolymerization, e-Beam Irradiation, Hydrogen Peroxide

Jo, S. , Choi, C. and Choi, S. (2019) Depolymerization of α- & β-Chitosan by e-Beam Irradiation. Journal of Biosciences and Medicines, 7, 72-83. doi: 10.4236/jbm.2019.710007.