title: Zinc chloride aqueous solution as a solvent for starch.
abstract: It is important to obtain starch-based homogeneous systems for starch modification. Regarding this, an important key point is to find cheap, low-cost and low-toxicity solvents to allow complete dissolution of starch and its easy regeneration. This study reveals that a ZnCl2 aqueous solution is a good non-derivatizing solvent for starch at 50 °C, and can completely dissolve starch granules. The possible formation of a "zinc-starch complex" might account for the dissolution; and the degradation of starch, which was caused by the H(+) inZnCl2 aqueous solution, could not contribute to full dissolution. From polarized light microscopic observation combined with the solution turbidity results, it was found that the lowest ZnCl2 concentration for full dissolution was 29.6 wt.% at 50 °C, with the dissolving time being 4h. Using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), solid state (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), it was revealed that ZnCl2 solution had no chemical reaction with starch glucosides, but only weakened starch hydrogen bonding and converted the crystalline regions to amorphous regions. In addition, as shown by intrinsic viscosity and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), ZnCl2 solution caused degradation of starch macromolecules, which was more serious with a higher concentration of ZnCl2 solution.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
authors.forename: Meiying
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China. Electronic address: hushanren@163.com.
authors.forename: Xiaoqin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shang
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Fengwei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
authors.forename: Xiaodong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
authors.forename: Yongyi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
authors.forename: Junyan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wan
mesh_terms: D002712:Chlorides / Q000737:chemistry*; D012995:Solubility; D012996:Solutions; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry*; D013213:Starch / Q000737:chemistry*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D017967:Zinc Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D002712:Chlorides; D012996:Solutions; D012997:Solvents; D017967:Zinc Compounds; D014867:Water; C016837:zinc chloride; D013213:Starch
keywords: Dissolution; Non-derivatizing solvent; Starch; Starch (PubChem CID: 24836924); Water (PubChem CID: 962); Zinc dichloride (PubChem CID: 5727); Zinc–starch complex; ZnCl(2) aqueous solution