Synthesis, characterization, and flocculation performance of cationic starch nanoparticles

Yanjiao Chang; Zhiqing Hu; Peizhuang Wang; Jiang Zhou

doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.118337

Synthesis, characterization, and flocculation performance of cationic starch nanoparticles

Carbohydr Polym. 2021 Oct 1:269:118337. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.118337. Epub 2021 Jun 16.

Authors

Yanjiao Chang¹, Zhiqing Hu¹, Peizhuang Wang¹, Jiang Zhou²

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Bionic Engineering (Ministry of Education), College of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130022, China.
² Key Laboratory of Bionic Engineering (Ministry of Education), College of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130022, China. Electronic address: jiang.zhou@jlu.edu.cn.

PMID: 34294347
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.118337

Abstract

A series of cationic starches with different degrees of substitution were synthesized by etherification of potato starch with 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl trimethylammonium chloride (CTA). Cationic starch nanoparticles (CTA-StNPs) with different sizes were prepared by precipitation. Flocculation behaviors of the CTA-StNPs in simulated water sample containing kaolin were studied. The results showed that the dosage required to bring the simulated water sample containing kaolin to attain maximum transmittance at pH = 4 was significantly less than that at pH = 7. Both the size and degree of substitution of the CTA-StNPs affected their flocculation performance. The smaller the size and the higher the degree of substitution of CTA-StNPs, the better was the flocculation performance. Charge neutralization played a leading role in the flocculation process. The adsorption process of the CTA-StNPs onto kaolin could be divided into rapid adsorption, stable adsorption and equilibrium adsorption and followed pseudo second-order kinetic equation very well (R² > 0.99).

Keywords: Flocculation; Kaolin; Nanotechnology; Natural flocculant.