School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.
School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China; John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Kavli Institute for Nanobio Science and Technology, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA.
Int J Biol Macromol. 2023 Dec 31;253(Pt 1):126613. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126613. Epub 2023 Aug 30.
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 128.28° and a reduced water vapor permeability (WVP) to 0.81×10 (g m/m s Pa). These enhancements were attributed to the inherent low surface energy of AKD and the increased surface roughness caused by AKD recrystallization. Moreover, the mechanical properties of the films were also enhanced due to the chemical crosslinking and intermolecular hydrogen bonding, as supported by the results of relaxation temperatures and molecular dynamics simulations. Considering the environmentally friendly and biodegradable nature of all components, the prepared hydrophobic films will hopefully be applied in food packaging.
本研究旨在解决淀粉基薄膜在食品包装中应用受限的问题，因为其本身具有亲水性。通过与烷基烯酮二聚体（AKD）复合，开发出一种高疏水性和机械增强型薄膜。FTIR 分析证实了 AKD 通过酯化反应成功引入到淀粉主链中，形成β-酮酯键。值得注意的是，AKD 的加入使改性薄膜（S80A20）得到显著改善，其水接触角（WCA）提高到 128.28°，水蒸气透过率（WVP）降低至 0.81×10-9(g·m/m·s·Pa)。这归因于 AKD 固有的低表面能和 AKD 重结晶引起的表面粗糙度增加。此外，由于化学交联和分子间氢键，薄膜的机械性能也得到了增强，这得到了松弛温度和分子动力学模拟结果的支持。考虑到所有成分的环保和可生物降解性质，所制备的疏水性薄膜有望应用于食品包装。
