| Abstract: | The oxidation of maltodextrins and starch with aqueous alkaline sodium hypochloride has been studied. At an oxidant level of 3 moles hypochlorite per anhydroglucose unit at pH 8–9, a C2, C3-glycol-cleaved dicarboxy polysaccharide was obtained containing up to 45% ring-opened glucose units. Hydrolysis of the oxidation products yielded (apart from glucose) erythronic and glyoxylic acids, but no glucuronic acid evidencing the absence of C6-oxidation. The average degree of polymerization of the products ranged from 14 to 87 and indicated severe chain degradation during the oxidation. The products were shown to be effective calcium complexing agents and behaved as regular polyelectrolytes with identical complexing sites. |
