ESR study of the effects of water, methanol, and ethanol on gamma-irradiation of starch

This investigation deals with the nature and relative abundance of stable radicals formed by gamma-irradiation of wheat starch at room temperature. Additions of equal weights of water, methanol, and ethanol were equally effective in reducing the content of stable radicals in starch which contained about 12% water before the additions. When, however, the starting material was dried starch with 2.9% initial water content additional water and methanol were better radical scavengers than ethanol. This difference is attributed to the superior ability of water and methanol to permeate the starch structure. Superficially different ESR spectra were obtained in products made by irradiating starch and starch that contained added water or methanol. Computer simulation of these spectra showed that they could be matched by superposition of the spectra of the same four component radicals, with some adjustments of relative intensities and peak widths. The structure of these radicals have been deduced from the spectral assignments and relative effects of the three solvents used on the intensities of the respective ESR spectra