UV spectrophotometry: Improvements in the study of the degree of acetylation of chitosan

A simple and rapid method for determining the degree of N-acetylation (DA) of chitosan by ultraviolet spectrophotometry using double beam equipment is proposed. D-Glucosamine (GlcN) hydrochloride and N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) were used as model substances, and chitosan solutions in different solvents were studied. The best results were obtained from 0.1 m HCl solutions, with high reproducibility and in good agreement with those given by conductometric titration, FT-IR, H-1 NMR and elemental analysis.