March 28, 2024, 07:32:40 PM
Forum Rules: Read This Before Posting


Topic: Degree of substitution calculation for acetyl group  (Read 16491 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline lablackey

  • Regular Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 22
  • Mole Snacks: +0/-0
Degree of substitution calculation for acetyl group
« on: December 01, 2009, 08:50:07 AM »
This seems so simple, but I can't figure out what I'm missing.

I'm doing acetyl substitution analysis on starch.  The procedure I'm using was written ages ago by someone who isn't with the company anymore and I see now I should have double checked it earlier, but anyway...

The calculation for DS is given as

                        Degree of substitution =       162 * % acetyl         

                                                              4300 – (43 x % acetyl)

But I got some literature the other day and they give the calculation as

162 x %A/[4300-(42x%A)]

Since the molecular weight of an acetyl group (-O-C-CH3) is 43

what's with the 42? ???

Once we've all stopped snickering about the Hitchhiker's reference can someone help me out? Thanks much.

Offline sjb

  • Global Moderator
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 3652
  • Mole Snacks: +222/-42
  • Gender: Male
Re: Degree of substitution calculation for acetyl group
« Reply #1 on: December 01, 2009, 08:59:24 AM »
Presumably if you didn't have an acetyl group on there, you'd just have a hydrogen, and the difference between CH3CO and H is 43 - 1 = 42?

Offline lablackey

  • Regular Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 22
  • Mole Snacks: +0/-0
Re: Degree of substitution calculation for acetyl group
« Reply #2 on: December 01, 2009, 09:05:28 AM »
Yes, I realize that, but since you're calculating the entire acetyl group and that has the whole 3 hydrogens, why drop one for the calculation?

Offline lablackey

  • Regular Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 22
  • Mole Snacks: +0/-0
Re: Degree of substitution calculation for acetyl group
« Reply #3 on: December 01, 2009, 09:49:44 AM »
Okay since I'm still trying to figure this out, I thought I'd add that I found a general calculation for degree of substitution. 

DS = 162W/100M - [(M-1)W]

Where W is the weight or weight percent in this case
and M is the molecular weight of the substituent in question
So the 42 makes sense

I guess what I really need is a better understanding of the calculation of degree of substitution.   :-\

Offline sjb

  • Global Moderator
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 3652
  • Mole Snacks: +222/-42
  • Gender: Male
Re: Degree of substitution calculation for acetyl group
« Reply #4 on: December 01, 2009, 03:13:31 PM »
162 would appear to refer to the starch monomer here (a hexose, less one molecule of water)

Sponsored Links