Hydrodynamic and conformational properties of cellulose valerate molecules in dilute solution

Using the methods of molecular hydrodynamics, structural-conformational studies have been performed for a number of cellulose valerate and acetovalerate samples in the molecular-mass range M = (58.1–464.3) × 10³ and with a mean degree of substitution of 182.4 with respect to valeric acid isomers. The conformations of valerate-substituted cellulose molecules are characterized by an increased local packing density of monomer units. The molecular conformations are quantitatively described in terms of the helix formed by the succession of vectors connecting glycoside oxygens of a chain. The molecular-hydrodynamic and conformational characteristics of cellulose valerate are compared with the corresponding characteristics of cellulose myristate.