A GREEN CHEMICAL APPROACH OF CORN STARCH MODIFICATION FOR INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS IN ADSORPTION OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS

The aim of research is to achieve chemical modifications of corn starch. Therefore, the present study focuses on its chemical modifications, in order to increase its aqueous solubility and to ameliorate its adsorption properties for one hydrophobic pollutant, belonging to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), as a model. Starch chemical modifications are realized by alkylation reactions using ether (propylene oxide) or ester (succinic anhydride) alkyl agents. Starches obtained are characterized by H-1 NMR technique in order to verify the alkylation procedure. Water solubility of the obtained product was determined and its capacity to adsorb the considered model pollutant was studied. According to the registered results, starch modification with succinic anhydride conducts to an aqueous solubility of 34.00 g.L-1, significantly increased in comparison with the solubility of native corn starch which is insoluble in water at room temperature. With this modified starch, promising results for BaP aqueous solubilisation were obtained.