Structure properties of dextran. 3. Shrinking factors of individual clusters

Size exclusion chromatography in combination with multiangle laser light sc attering and viscometry was applied for the study of the branched structure s of commercial dextrans. Shrinking factors g = R-g,i(branch)2/R-g,i(linear )2 and g' = [eta](i,branch)/[eta](i.linear) were calculated, where the radi i of gyration of pullulan were taken as the reference for the derivation of g, For the calculation of the g' factor, a reference curve was constructed by linear extrapolation of the low molar mass dextran data toward higher m olar masses. A power law behavior g' = g(eta)(b) was found with exponent b( eta) = 0.71 +/- 0.05 which is slightly larger than 0.60 as was estimated by Kurata et al. and found with endlinked polystyrene star molecules. The com bination of both shrinking factors also allowed us to estimate the Flory dr aining parameter Phi as a function of molar mass and of g, respectively. Th e Phi factor was found to increase with the number of branching points of t he macromolecules. A quantitative estimation of the number of branching poi nts is possible for randomly branched materials by applying the Zimm-Stockm ayer relationship. For a good fit the equation had to be modified by changi ng the asymptotic power from -0.5 to -0.72. The branching unit was found to have a molar mass of 29 000 g/mol, which corresponds for hyperbranched cha ins to a chain length of about 90 monomer units between two branching point s. The effect of incomplete fractionation is discussed.