Study on hydroxypropyl corn starch/alkyl ketene dimer composite film with enhanced water resistance and mechanical properties.

This study aimed to address the limited applicability of starch-based films in food packaging due to their inherent hydrophilicity, by developing a highly hydrophobic and mechanically reinforced film through compositing with alkyl ketene dimer (AKD). The FTIR analysis confirmed the successful introduction of AKD into the starch backbone via esterification by forming a β-keto ester linkage. Notably, the incorporation of AKD resulted in significant improvements in the modified film (S80A20), by exhibiting a higher water contact angle (WCA) of 128.

A study of starch-urea-water mixtures with a combination of molecular dynamics simulation and traditional characterization methods.

The relationships among the mixtures of starch, urea and water were intensively studied with a combination of molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and traditional characterization methods, including differential scanning calorimeter, scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, etc. In the presence of urea, the structure and morphology, as well as the thermal property of starch were significantly changed, which positively depends on the urea content in the aqueous solutions. In MD simulation, hydrogen bonds interaction as well as the distributions of starch fragments, urea and water in both molecular and atomic level were systematically studied.

Development and characterization of a hydroxypropyl starch/zein bilayer edible film.

An edible hydroxypropyl starch (HPS) based bilayer film with a waterproof layer of zein was successfully prepared through a two-step solvent casting method. The morphology, mechanical properties, as well as water barrier properties of the bilayer film were systematically studied. Results showed that bilayer film presented smooth surface morphology with an improved visibility, and there was an adhesion interface between two layers.