Templated Cross-linked Nanoporous Starch

Abstract

Nanoporous starch materials were successfully prepared by a sustainable synthetic process. In this method, some available economic cationic, anionic and nonionic templates like CTAB, SDS and Tween 80 in the presence of borax, as a green and low-cost cross-linker, were used to synthesize the desired cross-linked nanoporous starch in the aqueous phase at relatively low temperature. The obtained materials were characterized by SEM, FT-IR, TGA, DSC and N2 adsorption/desorption methods. While SEM analysis confirmed the porous nature of the materials, BET measurement showed that the materials can have a specific surface area of 65 m g. Cross-linked nanoporous starch was found to be an efficient, inexpensive, easy to prepare, green adsorbent in the removal of methylene blue and methyl orange from wastewater. The synthesized material was found to be highly efficient in controlled adsorption and desorption of ciprofloxacin, which can be applied in drug delivery.