Reduced Wool Fibres, their Preparation and Alkylation

Abstract

Wool has been reduced by tributylphosphine or by toluene-w-thiol under conditions such that the fibres remained intact. Further, this reduced wool was S -alkylated with retention of fibrous properties. The reduced fibres and reduced and alkylated fibres have been studied to determine the contribution of the disulphide groups to the physical properties of wool fibres, and in other structural studies. Protein can be extracted from the reduced and subsequently S-carboxymethylated fibres, and the extent of extraction is markedly dependent on the conditions used in the preceding alkylation step.