Modification of soybean protein with diisocyanates and some properties of the modified protein

Abstract

Soybean protein, as a vegetable protein, was modified by reacting it with a crosslinking agent, 2,4-tolylene diisocyanate. The molecular weights of modified soybean protein were increased as increasing the amount of added crossliking agent, but did not show the contents rate change of amino acid and sorption-desorption behavior of moisture by modification reaction, while the hydrophobicity of the proteins were increased with the progress of the modification reaction. The modified soybean proteins showed the good solubility in some polar organic solvents, especially in dimethylsulfoxide, when soybean protein (3 g) is modified with 7.5 mmol TDI. It is interesting that the modified soybean proteins showed a plastic property and good affinity with polyacrylonitrile.