Research Advances in Chemical Modifications of Starch for Hydrophobicity and Its Applications: A Review

Starch has received research focus due to its low cost, excellent film-forming ability, bio-compatibility, extensive sources, renewability and biodegradability. However, native starch with relatively strong hydrophilicity greatly limits its application in industries. Therefore, in this paper, the recent research advances in chemical modifications of starch for hydrophobicity, e.g., esterification, etherification, crosslinking, grafting and condensing reaction etc., were discussed. The changes of hydrophobicity and other properties due to chemical modifications were described, as well. Different applications of modified starch with better hydrophobicity, i.e., packaging industries, Pickering emulsion and pharmaceutical, are presented, too. Finally, the future research and prospects on chemical modifications of starch for hydrophobicity and their applications are proposed.