Electrosorption of sodium cellulose sulfates with different substitution patterns

Various types of sodium cellulose sulfate (SCS), dissolved in a 1 M LiCl solution, were investigated by alternating current (AC) polarography. The SCS samples differed in the degree of substitution (DS), the distribution of substituents within the anhydroglucose unit (AGU), and along the chain, due to the method of synthesis. The goal was to study the electrosorption behavior, characterized by the shape of the desorption wave in the polarogram, as a function of the chemical structure of the SCS samples. The shape of the desorption wave reflects domains of different substitution. A superimposition of parameters like DS and pattern of substitution on the electrosorption behavior was observed. The AC polarography method described can be used as a tool to distinguish between an even or uneven distribution of substituents along the cellulose chain.