| abstract |
Contacting a polysaccharide with an esterifying agent in the presence of a solvent under suitable reaction conditions for a reaction time sufficient to form a product comprising the polysaccharide ester composition, wherein the polysaccharide ester composition has a degree of substitution of from about 0.001 to about 3 Wherein the esterifying agent comprises an acyl halide, a phosphoryl halide, a carboxylic acid anhydride, a halo formate ester, a carbonic acid ester, or a vinyl ester, wherein the ratio of esterifying agent to polysaccharide is about 0.001: 1 to about 3: 1. ≪ / RTI > In one embodiment, the polysaccharide comprises poly alpha-1,3-glucan. |