Abstract An effective and facile approach to functionalize starch was developed using glyoxal and ammonium zirconium carbonate (AZC) as the co-crosslinking agents. The resultant starch was characterized for chemical structure, surface morphology, thermal stability, optical and hydrophobic properties and mechanical strength. 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrum confirmed the successful Schiff-base reaction on the starch. X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that the low glyoxal dosage had an adverse impact on the degree of crystallinity. Thermalgravimetric (TG) results revealed the weakened thermal stability at the initial decomposition process and enhanced thermal stability above the maximum degradation temperature. A smoother surface on the resultant film was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) after the addition of glyoxal. Significantly, enhanced mechanical and hydrophobic properties as well as ultraviolet (UV) blocking capacity of the resultant starch film were achieved at 5% (wt) glyoxal and 5% (wt) AZC content. Improved hydrophobic property and mechanical strength were also obtained even with very low dosages of glyoxal (0.5%, wt) and AZC (2.5%, wt). This new type of starch with double functionalities (i.e., hydrophobic and UV blocking capacity) provides beneficial implications for improving the performance of starch-based materials.

中文翻译：

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用 AZC 对淀粉进行乙二醛改进的官能化增强了共交联聚合物的疏水性、强度和紫外线阻断能力

摘要 使用乙二醛和碳酸锆铵 (AZC) 作为共交联剂开发了一种有效且简便的淀粉功能化方法。对所得淀粉的化学结构、表面形态、热稳定性、光学和疏水特性以及机械强度进行表征。1H 和 13C 核磁共振 (NMR) 光谱证实了淀粉上成功的席夫碱反应。X 射线衍射 (XRD) 表明低乙二醛剂量对结晶度有不利影响。热重 (TG) 结果显示初始分解过程中的热稳定性减弱，而在最大降解温度以上时热稳定性增强。加入乙二醛后，通过扫描电子显微镜（SEM）观察到所得薄膜表面更光滑。值得注意的是，在 5% (wt) 乙二醛和 5% (wt) AZC 含量下，所得淀粉膜的机械和疏水性能以及紫外线 (UV) 阻挡能力增强。即使使用非常低剂量的乙二醛 (0.5%, wt) 和 AZC (2.5%, wt)，也获得了改进的疏水性和机械强度。这种具有双重功能（即疏水和紫外线阻断能力）的新型淀粉为改善淀粉基材料的性能提供了有益的意义。