This study examined the feasibility of removing dexamethasone (DEX) from aqueous solutions using molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). The binding energy, used to evaluate the affinity between imprinted molecule and functional monomer, was calculated for DEX using molecular simulation via the density functional theory method. From this approach, three different functional monomers were tested: methacrylic acid, N-(Hydroxymethyl) acrylamide, and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate designated as MIP-DEX1, MIP-DEX2, MIP-DEX3, respectively. All of them were prepared by the precipitation polymerization method, with trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate used as the crosslinker. Moreover, the kinetics of adsorption and adsorption isotherms were evaluated using different models to assess the adsorption mechanisms of DEX on polymers. The results showed that equilibrium between the polymer and DEX is reache...

The reaction between starch granules and octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) is regularly retarded due to the low breakthrough of large oily OSA droplets into starch granules in an aqueous reaction system. Furthermore, high-speed shearing is widely used in the food industry, demanding high shear, cavitation, and collision force. In this sense, high-speed shearing could reduce the size of OSA droplets and promote a more homogeneous distribution of groups in the starch granule.  The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of OSA potato starch synthesis assisted by high-speed shear on structure (SEM and FTIR), gelatinization, rheology, and emulsifying activity (ES and AS) was investigated. The results showed a gradual increase in DS proportional to the applied speed. Likewise, the OSA starches showed a slight alteration in the shape of the granules (SEM), and FT-IR spectroscopy showed a ...