Abstracts Biological Sciences

A study of some reaction rates in the homogeneous system water-sodium hydroxide-cellobiose

by Donald James MacLaurin

The broad objective of the study was to gain further knowledge of the reaction rates and mechanisms by which carbohydrates, particularly 3(l-4) glucans, are transformed and degraded in aqueous alkaline solutions. While the isomerization, epimerization, and degradation of carbohydrates has been extensively studied and reviewed, there are practically no kinetic data available on these important reactions due apparently to a lack of reasonable procedures for assay of the reaction systems. Because of the important theoretical, physiological, and industrial implications of these reactions, it appeared useful to have kinetic data on them and concomitantly thus to develop a method for obtaining such data. The specific problem selected for study from this broad area was the measurement of reaction rates prevailing in the homogeneous system: cellobiose-l molar sodium hydroxide-water at 22°C. and to derive-the related rate constants from the reaction rate expressions and then to assess current understanding of these reactions in light of the kinetic data obtained.