The ex-situ and in-situ ultrasonic assisted oxidation of corn starch: A comparative study

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the differences in ex-situ (starch treated by ultrasonication and oxidation sequentially, U-OS) and in-situ (starch treated by ultrasonication and oxidation simultaneously, UOS) ultrasonic assisted oxidation process of corn starch, which were studied in contrast to the traditional oxidized starches (OS). Fourier-transform infrared spectra confirmed the successful oxidation of all modified starches samples. In comparison to the OS, the carboxyl contents of U-OS and UOS increased by 56% and 112%, respectively. The same increase trend was also found for the carbonyl contents. The significance raise was attributed to the great increase of pores and specific surface areas in the starch granule after ultrasonic irradiation which promoted the penetration of the sodium hypochlorite into the starch granules with higher chances for chemical reactions. SEM and pore size distribution characterizations further verified this result. However, the method of in-situ ultrasonic assisted oxidation can simultaneously accelerate the increase of pores and the penetration process. Consequently, the starches with higher oxidation degree can be more efficiently prepared by the strategy of in-situ ultrasonic assisted oxidation.