"Robust and Flexible Films from 100% Starch Cross-Linked by Biobased D" by Helan Xu, Hazal Canisag et al.

Biological Systems Engineering, Department of

 

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2015

Citation

ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng. 2015, 3, 2631−2639

Comments

© 2015 American Chemical Society

This is an open access article

DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.5b00353

Abstract

In this research, oxidized sucrose, a novel aldehyde-based green cross-linker, endowed starch films with substantial improvement in both tensile strength and elongation, whereas many other cross-linkers did not. Starch films are usually weak, brittle, and highly moisture sensitive, and thus have restricted industrial applications. Cross-linking is one of the most common methods to tackle these problems. However, most of the available cross-linkers are either toxic, expensive, or with low cross-linking efficiencies. Oxidized sucrose is a green cross-linker with multiple aldehyde groups per molecule to cross-link starch molecules via forming hemiacetals/acetals. The starch films cross-linked with oxidized sucrose had tensile strength and breaking elongation of 23 MPa and 60%, respectively, exceeding the cross-linking results of many other cross-linkers. Oxidized sucrose cross-linking also substantially increased the stability of starch films in both water and formic acid. With activation energy as low as 33.22 kJ mol−1, the cross-linking, a pseudo-first-order reaction, could occur readily. Mild cross-linking using oxidized sucrose might provide an alternative to promote industrialization of starch-based products.

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