Arabinoxylan: Derivative Synthesis, Film Formation and Degradation

Abstract

Polysaccharides are sustainable resources that can be processed into biofuel and biomaterials. However, a good understanding of their degradation kinetics and moisture content, which are critical factors in processing, is lacking and this merits investigation. In this work, the moisture content and chelator-mediated Fenton (CMF) degradation rate of regenerated arabinoxylan (RAX) films were studied and compared with regenerated cellulose (RC) films using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Results from the study revealed that RAX films had more water than RC films of comparable thickness. RAX films were more susceptible to CMF treatment than RC films and their degradation was maximum at pH 5 and 35 ℃. The regenerated arabinoxylan films described here would allow for in situ studies of biomacromolecule and small molecule interactions with hemicellulose films.