Quantitative analysis of benzyl modification in waxy maize starch by Fourier Transform (FT) Raman spectroscopy

Abstract

Waxy maize starch was chemically modified to varying benzylation levels and the degree of benzylation substitution was measured using a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method. Fourier Transform (FT) Raman spectra of the chemically modified starches were acquired and aromatic C=C stretch Raman bands characteristic of the benzylation modification were used to derive a calibration curve for the Raman intensity of these marker bands versus the degree of benzylation substitution. The best-fit linear regression to the plotted data gave a linear correlation coefficient of 0.997. The FT-Raman technique provides a fast, nondestructive method for the measurement of the degree of benzylation substitution of modified waxy maize starches and should be applicable for use with benzylated starches from other botanical sources.