Preparation of Photo-Crosslinking Starch Colloidal Particles

A photo-crosslinking cinnamic acid-modified starch (CA-St) copolymer is synthesized through an esterification reaction using 4-dimethylaminopyridine and 1-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-3-ethylcarbodiimide as catalysts. The structure of the CA-St is confirmed by 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopy. Using the nanoprecipitation method, the photo-crosslinking CA-St copolymer is aggregated into colloidal particles (CPs). The formation process and photo-crosslinking of CA-St CPs are evaluated in terms of size distribution, and ultraviolet and visible spectrophotometry. The scanning electron microscopy shows that the CA-St CPs comprise spherical particles with a diameter of approximately 410 nm. This type of photo-crosslinking CP has potential applications in nano- and biotechnology fields.