Thermoplastic starch plasticized by polymeric ionic liquid

Abstract In this study, a kind of polymeric ionic liquid (PIL) was synthesized and used to plasticize common cornstarch to obtain thermoplastic starch (TPS) by mixing the cornstarch and PIL together. The dissolution test of starch by aqueous solution with PIL found that PIL could have strong interaction with starch molecular chains and destroy the particle morphology of original cornstarch to become fragment. X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed that PIL acted as a plasticizer to decrease the original hydrogen bonding in cornstarch, and the original crystal structure of starch was destroyed into an amorphous state. In addition, the TPS could be hot pressed into a transparent film by using a flat vulcanizer, showing a great thermoplasticity. The results showed that the PIL can be used as a new plasticizer in the field of thermoplastic starch and there is good compatibility between starch and PIL. This will further enrich the family of sustainable materials.