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Starch-Based Aerogels Obtained via Solvent-Induced Gelation
Mirelle Dogenski1, Pavel Gurikov2, Victor Baudron3
1Department of Chemical and Food Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, Brazil.
Gels (Basel, Switzerland)
|September 23, 2020
Summary
Researchers explored solvents for creating amylomaize starch gels in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Hansen Solubility Parameters (HSP) guided gel strength, with water or propylene glycol yielding strong gels and high-surface-area aerogels.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Biomaterials
Background:
- Amylomaize starch is a versatile biopolymer with potential applications in various fields.
- Solvent-induced gelation is a key process for modifying starch properties.
- Developing efficient methods for starch gelation and subsequent aerogel production is of significant interest.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of various solvents in inducing gel formation from amylomaize starch dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO).
- To explore the influence of starch and solvent concentrations on the gelation process.
- To characterize the resulting starch aerogels and evaluate the applicability of Hansen Solubility Parameters (HSP) in guiding solvent selection.
Main Methods:
- Solvent screening for gel induction from starch/DMSO solutions.
- Gelation process optimization by varying starch (3-15 wt%) and solvent (20-80 wt%) concentrations.
- Solvent exchange with ethanol and drying using supercritical carbon dioxide (sc-CO2) to produce aerogels.
- Characterization of aerogels including specific surface area and envelope density.
- Application of Hansen Solubility Parameters (HSP) to rationalize gelation behavior.
Main Results:
- Gel formation was dependent on the specific solvent used, with water and propylene glycol being effective.
- Optimal conditions for strong gel formation required a minimum of 7.5 wt% starch and 50 wt% solvent.
- The resulting aerogels exhibited high specific surface areas (78–144 m2 g-1) and low densities (0.097–0.203 g cm-3).
- Hansen Solubility Parameters successfully predicted gelation behavior, highlighting the importance of hydrogen bonding.
Conclusions:
- Hansen Solubility Parameters can effectively guide the selection of solvents for water-free starch gelation in DMSO systems.
- The study demonstrates a pathway to producing high-quality starch aerogels with tunable properties.
- This approach offers an attractive alternative for starch gelation, potentially simplifying the process by using solvents miscible with sc-CO2 and avoiding solvent exchange steps.
