Crosslinking Modification for Starch and Starch-Based Films (A Review)

Different modification techniques have been utilized to improve the properties of starch and enhance the suitability of its films for packaging applications. This includes crosslinking, which involves the formation of molecular linkages between starch molecules. This review extensively examines various reports on crosslinking modification of starch particularly, the effect of different crosslinking agents such as epichlorohydrin, glutaraldehyde, phosphorus oxychloride, sodium trimonophosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, citric acid, oxidized sucrose, tartaric acid, malonic acid, and photo-crosslinking on the properties of starch and starch-based films. Furthermore, it evaluates the outcomes of these crosslinking modifications, outlines existing trends, and identifies some knowledge gaps based on published findings.