A novel method to estimate the stiffness of carbohydrate polyelectrolyte polymers based on the ionic strength dependence of zeta potential

• Published in: Carbohydrate polymers 2014-11, Vol.112, p.6-9
• Main Authors: Abodinar, Atiga, Smith, Alan M., Morris, Gordon A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alginates - chemistry; Applied sciences; Chitosan - chemistry; Electrolytes - chemistry; Exact sciences and technology; Glucuronic Acid - chemistry; Hexuronic Acids - chemistry; Intrinsic viscosity; Models, Theoretical; Natural polymers; Osmolar Concentration; Pectins - chemistry; Persistence length; Physicochemistry of polymers; Polysaccharide conformation; Polysaccharides - chemistry; Solutions - chemistry; Starch and polysaccharides; Viscosity; Zeta potential
• ISSN: 0144-8617; 1879-1344
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2014.05.063

•A novel method for estimating the Smidsrød–Haug stiffness parameter (B) is proposed.•B can be estimated using the ionic strength dependency of zeta potential.•B values are consistent with traditional estimates.•Values of B can be used to estimate the intrinsic persistence length. Polysaccharides have received a great deal of attention from, for example, the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Their conformations (flexibility/stiffness) span a wide range of conformational flexibilities with large hydrated volumes, these properties are important in relation to polysaccharide structure–function relationships. Perhaps the simplest parameter available to estimate the dilute solution conformation of polysaccharides is the Smidsrød–Haug stiffness parameter (B) where the stiffness of polyelectrolytes can be estimated by measuring the intrinsic viscosity at a number of different ionic strengths. In this paper we propose an alternative method for estimating the Smidsrød–Haug stiffness parameter (B) using the ionic strength dependency of zeta potential. For this purpose we have studied a number of different polysaccharides.