Plasma-chemical destruction and modification of chitosan in solution

Abstract

The destruction of chitosan in a solution, which served as a cathode in an atmospheric pressure direct-current discharge, has been studied. The dependence of the viscosity-average molecular weight of chitosan on the treatment time has been obtained, and the effective degradation rate constants and the plasma-chemical yields of chain scission have been found at discharge currents of 15, 30, and 45 mA. The structural and chemical changes in the polymer have been studied by electronic absorption spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy.