Synthesis of 2-Hydroxydodecyl Starch Ethers: Importance of the Purification Process

2-Hydroxydodecyl starch ethers were synthesized by reaction of 1,2-epoxydodecane with potato starch in aqueous alkaline medium. Careful attention has been given to the purification steps and more precisely to the identification and quantification of the impurities. The purification by Soxhlet extraction compared to the process by grinding required fewer steps but a longer time. The values of the MS were always around 1.1, but the recovery yields were higher for the treatment by grinding compared to Soxhlet (85 vs 63%).