Simultaneously Toughening and Strengthening Soy Protein Isolate-Based Composites via Carboxymethylated Chitosan and Halloysite Nanotube Hybridization.

Xiaorong Liu,Zhong Wang,Shifeng Zhang,Jianzhang Li,Haijiao Kang,Wei Zhang

doi:10.3390/ma10060653

Xiaorong Liu, Zhong Wang + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10060653

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Journal: Materials (Basel, Switzerland)	Publication Date: Jun 14, 2017
Citations: 20	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Beijing Forestry University

Abstract

Chemical cross-linking modification can significantly enhance the tensile strength (TS) of soy protein isolate (SPI)-based composites, but usually at the cost of a reduction in the elongation at break (EB). In this study, eco-friendly and high-potential hybrid SPI-based nanocomposites with improved TS were fabricated without compromising the reduction of EB. The hybrid of carboxymethylated chitosan (CMCS) and halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) as the enhancement center was added to the SPI and 1,2,3-propanetriol-diglycidyl-ether (PTGE) solution. The chemical structure, crystallinity, micromorphology, and opacity properties of the obtained SPI/PTGE/HNTs/CMCS film was analyzed by the attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The results indicated that HNTs were uniformly dispersed in the SPI matrix without crystal structure damages. Compared to the SPI/PTGE film, the TS and EB of the SPI/PTGE/HNTs/CMCS film were increased by 57.14% and 27.34%, reaching 8.47 MPa and 132.12%, respectively. The synergy of HNTs and CMCS via electrostatic interactions also improved the water resistance of the SPI/PTGE/HNTs/CMCS film. These films may have considerable potential in the field of sustainable and environmentally friendly packaging.

Highlights

In recent years, conventional petroleum-based polymers have grown increasingly unpopular amidst prevalent environmental concerns [1]
ATR-FTIR spectra to investigate the changes in functional groups in the soy protein isolate (SPI)-based spectrawere weremeasured measured to investigate the changes in functional groups in the
With the assistance of carboxymethylated chitosan (CMCS), halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) were well dispersed throughout the material, and the interface adhesion of HNTs was improved due to the hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interaction between the two fillers

Summary

Introduction

Conventional petroleum-based polymers have grown increasingly unpopular amidst prevalent environmental concerns [1]. Biopolymers, such as polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids, have attracted considerable interest for their biodegradations in terms of relieving the overdependence on petroleum resources [2,3,4]. The films can be modified, such as by physical treatment, chemical cross-linking, or block copolymerization, to enhance their applicability, but there is no perfect solution [7,8]. Chemical cross-linking has been proven to be the most effective and facile approach to enhancing the performance of SPI films [9,10]

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Conclusion