IOSR Journal of Applied Chemistry (IOSR-JAC) e-ISSN: 2278-5736.Volume 9, Issue 6 Ver. I (Jun. 2016), PP 01-09 www.iosrjournals.org DOI: 10.9790/5736-0906010109 www.iosrjournals.org 1 |Page Eco-Friendly Biodegradable Semi-Natural Surfactants from Starch for Green Chemistry Md. Ibrahim H. Mondal 1,* , Md. Mofakkharul Islam 2 , Md. Khademul Islam 3 , Md. Mohsin Hossain 4 1,2,3,4 Polymer and Textile Research Lab., Department of Applied Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi -6205, Bangladesh Abstract: The biodegradable starch-polymer interactions with various surfactants, such as sodium dodecyl sulphate, sodium octanoate, cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide and Triton-X-100, were investigated. The goal was to produce eco-friendly biodegradable semi-natural surfactants. Yet they also had to be capable of cleansing dirty particles and of washing dishes. Thus, the goal was “cleanliness through green chemistry”. The DS of starch and its concentrations used were 0.8 and 0.01 to 1% wt/v, respectively. The effect of mixing on the micellization of the ternary surfactant solutions can be estimated by measuring only the effects of the difference between the lengths of the hydrocarbon chains. Formation of mixed micelle with starch depends on the chain length difference in the same way as for starch-surfactant micelle. Aggregation of the mixed micelles of the surfactants and the starch polymer coils produced a gel-like complex phase. The water content of the gel phase, in equilibrium with aqueous solution, increased when the chain length difference between the two surfactants increased. The more active component is strongly enriched in the polymer complexes of gels. It showed maximum cleansing activity of the respective surfactants. From the experimental results of viscosity, surface tension and other physical properties, it indicated that adding starch in surfactant as soap filler has changed these properties. The complexes obtained from the ternary phase were analyzed and characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, XRD and SEM. Some of the prepared complexes exhibited excellent emulsifying efficiency and surfactant performance properties. Thus, the prepared semi-natural surfactants from potato starch are safe for water and for animals. The goal of green chemistry, which does not add to global warming or harm the natural environment, was met. Use of such surfactants can reduce the use of chemical soap or detergents for cleansing, which can have negative effects on the environment and on human and animal health. Keywords: Starch, Surfactants, Cleansing activity, Ternary phase diagram, Green chemistry I. Introduction Starch, a naturally-occurring, high-molecular-weight polymer of α-D-glucose, consists of two main fractions: amylose and amylopectin. Amylose and amylopectin possess different properties and are therefore best suited for different applications [1]. The amylose molecule is capable of forming helical inclusion complexes with a variety of organic substrates [2]. The fundamental property of a surfactant is its ability to form aggregates in solution, or “micelles”. Micelles are formed at low surfactant concentrations in water. The concentration at which micelles start to form is called the “critical micelle concentration”. The anionic surfactants carry a negatively-charged head group. The cationic surfactants carry a positively-charged head group. The non-ionic surfactants have no charge on their head groups [3]. The cleansing activity of a surfactant is one of the most important cleansing tools in daily life. Thus, the improvement of cleansing activity and biodegradability of a soap or detergent is obviously required for better quality and performance. Green, biodegradable polymers, derived from natural resources, such as rice, potato, corn starch etc. are potentially very interesting substitutes for non‐biodegradable petroleum‐based polymers. An attractive field of application for these polymers is their use as packaging materials, especially for food packaging. For the current petrochemical based-products, recycling is often neither practical nor economically feasible [4]. Indeed, in most cases these are hazardous. Natural polymers such as starch, cellulose or proteins are potentially very interesting starting materials for biodegradable packaging materials. In particular, potato starch is attractive, as it is relatively cheap and abundantly available in any south Asian country like Bangladesh, India or Pakistan. However, the use of native starch for packaging materials is limited due to its low moisture resistance, poor processibility (high viscosity), high brittleness, and incompatibility with hydrophobic polymers. Hence, modification of potato starch is therefore required, to introduce hydrophobicity and to improve