Caracterización nanoscópica superficial de películas de almidón extraídas de variedades de Solanum tuberosum

Abstract

The starch films obtained from potatoes are biodegradable materials that are considered an alternative to petroleum-based disposable containers and are more environmentally friendly than the latter. Ecuador, placed in the Andean region, is a significant potato producer, making it an ideal location for starch extraction from different potato varieties. To obtain starch films with functional characteristics, it is convenient to understand the properties of these biomaterials, which can be determined at a macroscopic level; however, a nanoscopic characterization of the surface of these films also allows obtaining details of the potential causes of these properties. In this study, the surface of starch films extracted from various potato (Solanum tuberosum) varieties were examined using atomic force microscopy (AFM) to compare the results obtained from macroscopic tests with those derived from nanoscopic characterization. For macroscopic characterization, tensile tests, Attenuated Total Reflectance Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), and UV per Vis spectrophotometry were conducted. The nanoscopic characterization revealed nanoscale differences between the analyzed films, providing a potential explanation for the observed macroscopic properties, such as mechanical characterization, IR absorption, and opacity. Thus, films with regular row topographies were associated with higher tensile strength and a higher modulus of elasticity.