3.1 Structural characterization of hyperbranched poly(1,4-butanediol citrate)
The number-average molecular weight of hyperbranched poly(1,4-butanediol citrate) measured by gel permeation chromatography is 1144, and its polydispersity index is 1.50. The FT-IR spectra of monomers and hyperbranched poly(1,4-butanediol citrate) are shown in Fig. 2(a). In the FT-IR spectrum of 1,4-butanediol, the peak at 3400 cm− 1 is assigned to –OH stretching vibration. The FT-IR spectrum of citric acid shows that the peaks at 1760 cm− 1 and 1700 cm− 1 are attributed to C = O stretching vibration in –COOH. In the FT-IR spectra of hyperbranched poly(1,4-butanediol citrate), a new peak appears at 1735 cm− 1, which belongs to the C = O stretching vibration in ester groups [25]. It results from the esterification between 1,4-butanediol and citric acid.
The branching coefficient is an important parameter for hyperbranched polymers and can be determined from 1H NMR results. The proton attribution on monomers and poly(1,4-butanediol citrate) are shown in Fig. 2(b). The branching coefficient for poly(1,4-butanediol citrate) is calculated according to the method presented in our previous report [26]. The branching coefficient of hyperbranched poly(1,4-butanediol citrate) is calculated using Eq. 1 and is 0.54.
3.2 FT-IR analysis of thermoplastic starch films
FT-IR spectra of corn starch films prepared using poly(1,4-butanediol citrate)/glycerol co-plasticizers at different proportions are shown in Fig. 3. In the FT-IR spectrum of the corn starch films, peaks at 3385, 1150, and 995 cm-1 are the typical characteristic absorption peaks of starch and correspond to –OH, C–O in C–O–H, and C–O in C–O–C stretching vibration, respectively [2]. In contrast to the FT-IR spectrum of neat starch film, the spectra of thermoplastic starch films plasticized with poly(1,4-butanediol citrate)/glycerol display a characteristic absorption peak at 1732 cm-1 that corresponds to the C = O stretching vibration in ester groups. All the –OH stretching vibration peaks in the FT-IR spectra of thermoplastic starch films with poly(1,4-butanediol citrate)/glycerol at the weight ratio of 0/30, 2/28, 5/25, 10/20, and 20/10, (30G, 2P28G, 5P25G, 10P20G, and 20P10G films), shift from 3385 cm-1 to 3300 cm-1, 3287 cm-1, 3286 cm-1, 3284 cm-1, and 3280 cm-1, respectively. This is mainly because the partial hydrogen bonds of associated hydroxyl groups in the starch film are destroyed, and –OH in starch chains forms stronger hydrogen bonds with polar groups in the plasticizer [2]. In addition, –OH stretching vibration peaks of the thermoplastic starch films shift from 3287 cm-1 to 3280 cm-1 with the increase in the poly(1,4-butanediol citrate) content. This indicates that hydrogen bonds formed by poly(1,4-butanediol citrate) with –OH in starch chains are stronger than those formed by glycerol.
3.3 Crystallinity of thermoplastic starch films
Starch is a type of semi-crystalline polymer. XRD patterns of the prepared thermoplastic corn starch films after storage for 3 days and 30 days are shown in Fig. 4. The peaks at 5.5, 15.0, 17.1, 19.8, 22.1, and 23.8° in the XRD patterns of the corn starch film are B-type crystals peaks of starch. The characteristic peaks in the XRD patterns of thermoplastic starch films are weaker than those of the corn starch films or even disappear. This is mainly due to the plasticizer breaking up hydrogen bonding between starch molecules. The crystallinity of 30G, 2P28G, 5P25G, 10P20G, and 20P10G films stored at RH 68% for 3 days are 18.4, 14.7, 16.3, 21.9, and 23.3%, respectively, which are calculated by Jade 6.0 (Table 2). The results show that the use of poly(1,4-butanediol citrate)/glycerol at weight ratios of 2:28 and 5:25 is more effective than the use of glycerol only in inhibiting the short-term retrogradation of starch or the recrystallization of amylose.
Table 2
Crystallinity of corn starch films plasticized by poly(1,4-butanediol citrate)/glycerol (P/G) with different proportions stored for 3 and 30 days
Sample | 3 days | 30 days |
Crystallinity (%) |
CS | 24.6 | 33.0 |
30G | 18.4 | 31.8 |
2P28G | 14.7 | 19.5 |
5P25G | 16.3 | 23.5 |
10P20G | 21.9 | 27.5 |
20P10G | 23.3 | 28.8 |
With the increase in the storage time, long-term retrogradation occurs due to the recrystallization of amylopectin. The characteristic crystal peak intensities of starch and thermoplastic starch films stored for 30 days are stronger than those of corresponding films stored for 3 days, as shown in Fig. 4. This is attributed to the recrystallization of amylopectin. The crystallinity of thermoplastic starch films with poly(1,4-butanediol citrate)/glycerol stored for 30 days at RH 68% are lower than that of thermoplastic starch films with glycerol. The results show that co-plasticizers are more efficient in inhibiting the long-term retrogradation of starch or recrystallization of amylopectin than glycerol alone, because of the stronger intermolecular interactions among starch, glycerol, and poly(1,4-butanediol citrate) as illustrated in Fig. 3. The crystallinity of the 2P28G film stored for 30 days is 19.5%, which is the lowest among all the thermoplastic starch films. This suggests that the poly(1,4-butanediol citrate)/glycerol weight ratio of 2:28 is optimal for inhibiting the long-term retrogradation of starch. This phenomenon not only depends on the interaction between the components but also may be related to the compatibility between the components.
3.4 Mechanical properties of thermoplastic starch films
Tensile strength and elongation at the break of the corn starch film are (24.2 ± 1.8) MPa and (2.2 ± 0.1)%, respectively. The corn starch film is brittle. Consequently, a plasticizer should be added during starch processing. The stress–strain curves of the prepared thermoplastic corn starch films after storage for 3 days are shown in Fig. 5. The thermoplastic starch films with 30 wt% glycerol or poly(1,4-butanediol citrate)/glycerol show a ductile fracture. The tensile strength and elongation at break of the 30G film stored for 3 days are 3.6 MPa and (56.0 ± 6.0)%, respectively. The elongation at break of 2P28G, 5P25G, 10P20G, and 20P10G films are (101.1 ± 14.0), (84.3 ± 10.7), (82.2 ± 2.8), and (84.6 ± 10.7)%, respectively, which are higher than that of the 30G film. In other words, the co-plasticizers, especially poly(1,4-butanediol citrate)/glycerol at a weight ratio of 2:28, have a synergistic plasticizing effect on starch. This is because the interactions between co-plasticizers and starch are stronger than those between glycerol and starch, which is evident from FT-IR analysis results for thermoplastic starch films.
The retrogradation of thermoplastic starch films occurs because of the migration of plasticizers, which results in low toughness of the thermoplastic starch. As a result, the change in the mechanical properties of thermoplastic starch with time is an important index to evaluate the plasticizer quality. The elongation at break and tensile strength of corn starch films plasticized with poly(1,4-butanediol citrate)/glycerol at different proportions and stored for 3 and 30 days are shown in Table 3. The elongation at break of the 30G film decreases by 62.9% from days 3–30, while that of 2P28G, 5P25G, 10P20G, and 20P10G films decreases by 9.3, 4.6, 11.7, and 13.9%, respectively. These results show that the co-plasticizers can significantly inhibit the retrogradation of the starch, which is consistent with the conclusion drawn from XRD analysis results. The most probable reason is the improvement in interactions between starch and plasticizers, which is evident from FT-IR analysis results for thermoplastic starch films. This may also be attributed to the improvement in the compatibility among starch, poly(1,4-butanediol citrate), and glycerol, which can be drawn from the surface morphology of starch films, as shown in Fig.S1.
Table 3
Mechanical properties of corn starch films plasticized by poly(1,4-butanediol citrate)/glycerol (P/G) with different proportions stored for 3 and 30 days
Sample | 3 days | 30 days |
Elongation at break (%) | Tensile strength (MPa) | Elongation at break (%) | Tensile strength (MPa) |
CS | 2.2 ± 0.1 | 24.2 ± 1.8 | 1.9 ± 0.1 | 26.5 ± 2.1 |
30G | 56.0 ± 6.0 | 3.6 ± 0.5 | 20.8 ± 1.1 | 5.3 ± 0.2 |
2P28G | 101.1 ± 14.0 | 3.0 ± 0.2 | 91.7 ± 2.7 | 3.1 ± 0.3 |
5P25G | 84.3 ± 10.7 | 2.6 ± 0.3 | 80.4 ± 4.1 | 3.9 ± 0.8 |
10P20G | 82.2 ± 2.8 | 3.8 ± 0.2 | 72.6 ± 5.1 | 4.6 ± 0.2 |
20P10G | 84.6 ± 10.7 | 5.1 ± 0.5 | 72.8 ± 1.7 | 5.5 ± 0.5 |
3.5 Transmittance of thermoplastic starch film
The light transmittance of plastic is an essential characteristic considered for packaging, optical instruments, lighting appliances, and photovoltaic materials. The transmittance of composite materials is related to not only the crystallinity of the material but also the compatibility between components. The transmittance of corn starch films plasticized with poly(1,4-butanediol citrate)/glycerol at different proportions and stored for 7 days are shown in Fig. 6. The transmittance of all the thermoplastic starch films is higher than that of the neat starch film. This is because the plasticizer destroys the crystalline structure of the starch, as can be seen from XRD analysis results. The transmittance of all the thermoplastic starch films prepared using co-plasticizers is also higher than that of the thermoplastic starch film prepared using glycerol. There might be two reasons for this. (1) Poly(1,4-butanediol citrate) increases the intermolecular interaction between starch and glycerol as shown in Fig. 3, so the crystallinity of thermoplastic starch films with co-plasticizers is lower than that of the thermoplastic starch film with glycerol (Table 2). (2) Poly(1,4-butanediol citrate) improves the compatibility between starch and glycerol. Notably, the 2P28G film has the highest transmittance, indicating that thermoplastic starch films with co-plasticizers exhibit the highest compatibility when the weight ratio of poly(1,4-butanediol citrate) to glycerol is 2:28. In conclusion, the 2P28G film has potential applications in packaging.
3.6 Thermal analysis of thermoplastic starch films
The TGA and differential thermogravimetry (DTG) curves of corn starch films plasticized with poly(1,4-butanediol citrate)/glycerol at different proportions are shown in Fig. 7. Three degradation stages exist for thermoplastic starch films. The first degradation stage below 150°C is due to the loss of free water and bound water in the starch film. The amount of lost free water and bound water in the thermoplastic starch films, except in the 30G film, is lower than that in the neat starch film. The second degradation stage below 250°C corresponds to the evaporation of glycerol in the thermoplastic starch films. The third degradation stage above 250°C is attributed to the degradation of starch and poly(1,4-butanediol citrate) in thermoplastic starch films. The temperatures corresponding to the maximum mass loss rate in thermoplastic starch films are lower than those in the case of the neat starch films. This is because thermoplastic starch films are more amorphous than neat starch films.
3.7 Moisture absorption of thermoplastic starch films
Starch tends to readily absorb moisture owing to the large number of –OH groups in starch molecules, which limits the applications of starch. The moisture content of the thermoplastic starch film with glycerol is higher than that of the neat starch film because the tendency of glycerol to absorb moisture is stronger than that of starch. The moisture absorbed at different relative humidities by corn starch films plasticized with poly(1,4-butanediol citrate)/glycerol at different proportions is shown in Fig. 8. The moisture content of thermoplastic starch films with co-plasticizers is lower than that of the thermoplastic starch film with only glycerol when these films are stored in the same environment. Co-plasticizers could form the stronger interaction with starch than glycerol, and then part of the –OH groups in starch molecules are blocked. In addition, no positive correlation is seen between the moisture content of thermoplastic starch films with co-plasticizers and the interactions among all the components. The moisture contents of 30G, 2P28G, 5P25G, 10P20G, and 20P10G films stored at RH 68% for 30 days are (11.7 ± 0.3), (9.6 ± 0.2), (11.0 ± 0.2), (10.3 ± 0.2), and (10.6 ± 0.2)%, respectively. When the relative humidity is higher than 68%, the 2P28G film has the lowest moisture content. This could be related to the better compatibility between the components [9], which will be further studied in the future.