Raman and optical rotatory dispersion study of amylose in water–ethanol mixtures

Abstract Raman spectroscopy and optical rotatory dispersion techniques were used to investigate the transitions of the coil–helix and helix–helix forms and the conformation of functional groups in amylose in water–ethanol mixtures. The conditions of the transitions of a random coil form to the left‐ and right‐handed helix of V‐amylose under the influence of ethanol were determined. The Raman measurements also provided information on different trans and gauche conformations of CH 2 OH groups. The correlation between the process of adopting the right‐handed helix of V‐amylose and the ( g, g ) conformation of CH 2 OH groups is discussed.