Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 12, 2026

Sequencing of Plant Wall Heteroxylans Using Enzymic, Chemical Methylation and Physical Mass Spectrometry, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Techniques
Published on: March 24, 2016
Mannich reaction of polysaccharides: Xylan functionalization in aqueous basic medium
Cüneyt H Ünlü1, Meltem Kutlu1, Oya Galioğlu Atıcı1
1Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Science and Letters, Department of Chemistry, Maslak TR34469, Istanbul, Turkey.
Abstract:
In this study modification of xylan via Mannich reaction in aqueous basic solution to obtain dimethylaminomethylated products and characterization of modified xylan were examined. Components were xylan (obtained from corn cob and used without modification) as active hydrogen containing compound, formaldehyde as carbonyl compound having no α-hydrogen and dimethylamine. Mannich reaction was used with different parameters such as component concentration, reaction temperature, and time. The highest modification was observed about 35°C with a nitrogen content of 4.6% by weight indicating successive modification. Both 1D and 2D NMR measurements displayed new signals related with aminomethyl groups. Spectral characterizations indicated that aminomethylation took place on oxygen sites. Moreover modified xylan could form film while xylan could not without an auxiliary agent. Antimicrobial activity tests indicated that modified xylan acted as a bacteriostatic material.
Related Concept Videos
Biosynthesis of Polysaccharides
Hydrolysis
Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction in which the addition of water breaks down a polymer into its simpler monomer units. For example, peptides break into amino acids, carbohydrates into simple sugars, and DNA into nucleotides. Enzymes often facilitate these processes.
Hydrolysis Reverses Dehydration Synthesis
Complex carbohydrates can be broken down by breaking the bonds between individual sugar units. The reaction breaks a glycosidic bond as water is added to the compound. The...
Production of Organic Acids
Oligosaccharide Assembly
Multiple sugar molecules that may or may...
Oxidation of Alcohols
The process of oxidation in a chemical reaction is observed in any of the three forms:
Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview

