STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS IN METHYL VINYL SULFONE MODIFIED COTTON CELLULOSE

Abstract

Methylsulfonylethyl cellulose was prepared at a low degree of substitution (0.11), which is conventional for the chemical modification of cotton, by the Michael addition of methyl vinyl sulfone to cotton fabric. The distribution of substituents in the anhydroglucose units was determined by hydrolysis of the molecular chain to glucose units, selective concentration of the substituted glucose components, gas-liquid chromatographic analyses of the methylsulfonylethylglucoses, and comparison with authentic samples of 2-O-, 3-O-, and 6-O-methylsulfonylethylglucoses in the form of trimethylsilyl ethers. The validity of each of these steps for quantitative analyses has been examined. The ratio of the 2-O-, 3-O-, and 6-O-monomethylsulfonylethylglucoses was found to be 0.20:0.03:1.0. No evidence was found for the presence of di- or tri-substituted glucoses.