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Lookup NU author(s): Professor David XieORCiD
This is the authors' accepted manuscript of an article that has been published in its final definitive form by American Chemical Society, 2017.
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With increased awareness of global sustainability, there has been growing interest in the preparation of materials from natural, eco-friendly polymers (i.e., biopolymers). Nonetheless, despite their enormous application potential, biopolymers (starch, etc.) have a native semicrystalline structure with strong hydrogen bonding, and require use of solvents to improve their processability. However, the dissolution/processing of natural biopolymers such as starch often requires heating and thus significant energy input. Herein, we report an aqueous ionic liquid for fast and facile dissolution of starch, a typical semicrystalline natural polymer, under ambient conditions. The ionic liquid used is 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([C2mim][OAc]). In particular, it is revealed that 0.15:1 mol/mol [C2mim][OAc]:water mixture disintegrates the sophisticated granule structure of native starch without apparently decreasing the molecular mass within 1 h at room temperature (i.e., 28 °C). In addition, this process did not result in any undesired derivatization. The discovery of this phenomenon could provide guidance for rationally designing “green” processes for chemical and biological engineering for the utilization of promising natural biopolymers.
Author(s): Zhang B, Xie F, Shamshina JL, Rogers RD, McNally T, Halley PJ, Truss RW, Chen L, Zhao S
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering
Year: 2017
Volume: 5
Issue: 5
Pages: 3737-3741
Print publication date: 01/05/2017
Online publication date: 11/04/2017
Acceptance date: 08/04/2017
Date deposited: 23/05/2023
ISSN (electronic): 2168-0485
Publisher: American Chemical Society
URL: https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.7b00784
DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.7b00784
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