Complexes of starch polysaccharides and poly(ethylene co-acrylic acid): structure and stability in solution

Chiroptical methods have been used to study the conformation and interactions of amylose and amylopectin with poly(ethylene co-acrylic acid) (EAA) in aqueous solution. These studies, along with X-ray diffraction and solid-state NMR data, show that amylose and EAA, as well as amylopectin and EAA, form helical V-type inclusion complexes when mixed in aqueous suspension. This structure apparently accounts for the partial compatibility observed in films containing starch and EAA. About 2/3 by weight of EAA does not interact with amylose and probably represents the ethylene-rich central core of the EAA micelle. EAA/amylose complexes in 10 mM NaOH were stable to temperatures 90 degrees C, whereas EAA/amylopectin complexes in the same solvent were largely disrupted at this temperature. Urea, at a concentration of 8 M, further destabilized both EAA/amylopectin and EAA/amylose complexes. Solutions with an alkaline pH ( 9.5) dispersed EAA optimally and allowed maximum complexing with amylose. At pH values 13, the EAA/amylose complexes were weaker, most likely due to electrostatic repulsion between ionized hydroxyl groups of amylose and carboxyl groups of EAA