Application of temperature programmed desorption mass spectrometry for the determination of the deacetylation degree of chitosan

Curves representing the dependence of the pressure of volatile products formed in the destruction of chitin or chitosan on the thermolysis temperature were analyzed. The curves were obtained using temperature programmed desorption mass spectrometry. It was shown that the shape and positions of the maxima in the curves depend on the ratio of the numbers of pyranose rings bearing amine and acetamide groups in the polymer chain. A new approach was proposed for determining the deacetylation degree of chitin or chitosan based on the data of temperature programmed desorption mass spectrometry.