Binding of Aliphatic Aldehydes by Cornstarch Polysaccharides

Binding by cryotextured cornstarch of individual aliphatic aldehydes (C₆–C₁₀; saturated or unsaturated) and their mixtures from aqueous solutions has been studied using capillary gas chromatography. The amount of compounds sorbed by the cryotextures depended linearly on the concentration of aldehydes in the original gel. The majority of the compounds under study were bound irreversibly. Aldehydes with low molecular weight were better sorbed by the cryotextures than by granules of native cornstarch. Data of IR spectroscopy demonstrated that binding to cornstarch polysaccharides decreased the conformational mobility of odorants. The appearance of binding isotherms depended on the extent of sorption, suggesting the involvement of complex mechanisms of binding. The formation of supramolecular complexes through cooperative hydrophobic interactions between aldehydes and cornstarch polysaccharides was the preferential mechanism of the sorption.