How do you depolymerizes chitin ?
After that what is added to deacetylate it to yield glucosamine?
2006-07-05 16:19:44 · 3 answers · asked by Solomon L 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
Chitin is a polysaccharide that may be broken down to monomers (N-acetyl-D-glucosamine) by hydrolysis of the polysaccharide bond. This can be accomplished enzymatically with amylases, or with strong base or acid.
2006-07-06 04:35:42 · answer #1 · answered by wcholberg 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't believe it is known, how to depolymerize chitin. It would be a useful industrial material which we could harvest in great quantities from naturally occurring sources, if we knew how to depolymerize it and shape it and re polymerize it.
2006-07-05 16:34:59 · answer #2 · answered by cdf-rom 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Chitin looks like cellulose we depolymerize cellulose by acids .. right? then it may work too using acids ... really if you need an answer you better check the text books
2006-07-05 18:24:03 · answer #3 · answered by mohamedmkassem 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋