Effect of Chemical Treatment on the Degree of Deacetylation of Chitosan

Chitosan wide range of application is highly dependent mainly on the presence of the reactive amino groups and its degree of deacetylation (DDA) is one of the main parameters characterizing chitosan. Chitosan was produced from deacetylation of chitin using 70% alkali concentration in an autoclave at120oC for 1 hour. The degree of deacetylation (DDA) was determined using the acid-base titration method. A degree of deacetylation (DDA) of 70.67% was achieved from the autoclave synthesized chitosan compared to the conventional synthesized chitosan using a lower alkali concentration and temperature with a degree of deacetylation of 62.36%. In conclusion, the use of autoclave and increasing alkali concentration increased the DDA and may possibly influence other functional and biological properties of chitosan.