SIZE-EXCLUSION CHROMATOGRAPHY OF CELLULOSE AND CHITIN USING LITHIUM CHLORIDE-N,N-DIMETHYLACETAMIDE AS A MOBILE PHASE

Distributions of molecular mass of cellulose and chitin were determine d by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) using 5% (w/w) lithium chlori de-N,N-dimethylacetamide as an eluent. The peak positions in SEC patte rns of the cellulose samples used corresponded well to their molecular masses, which were measured by a viscometric method using cupriethyle nediamine. Thus, the packed gel consisting of styrene-divinylbenzene c opolymer was found to be applicable to the SEC analysis of cellulose a nd chitin, when 5% (w/w) lithium chloride-N,N-dimethylacetamide was us ed as the solvent for polysaccharides and as the eluent. The elution p atterns obtained in this SEC system indicated that the molecular mass of commercial chitins prepared from crab shell is much higher than tha t of cotton, and that the chitins have two peaks of distribution of mo lecular mass.