Hydrolysis of the terminal dimethylacetal moiety on the spacers bound to carboxy groups containing glucans

Series of carboxymethylglucan (CMG) and oxidized glucan (OXG) derivatives containing spacers of different length with terminal dimethylacetal groups were treated with different acid media. The kinetics of acid hydrolysis was monitored via carbonyl groups formation measurements. Pseudo-first order rate constants k1 and second-order rate constants k2 were calculated, k1 = k2[H+]. Observed overall yields and reaction rates varied with different linkers and flexibility of whole linker moiety. Derivatives of OXG hydrolysed about five times faster than analogous derivatives of CMG.