Aqueous solutions of native and hydrophobically modified polysaccharides: temperature effect

Amphiphilic polysaccharides, obtained by the attachment of various hydrocarbon groups onto dextran, are studied in aqueous solutions. The viscosity of their aqueous solutions is examined as a function of concentration and temperature in the range 25-65 degrees C. Varying polymer concentration, viscosity follows a polynomial development of Huggins equation in which the coefficients can be calculated from the Huggins constant determined in the dilute domain (Matsuoka-Cowman equation). For all polymers, the solution viscosity follows an Arrhenius-like variation with temperature. The activation energy of the aqueous solutions is determined as a function of polymer concentration and structural characteristics (nature and amount of grafted hydrocarbon groups). The variation of activation energy with polymer concentration is shown to be consistent with predictions based on the Matsuoka-Cowman equation combined with the equation of Andrade. This conclusion is extended to other polysaccharides using data from the literature.