Dendritic starch-based dextrin adhesives

1. A modified starch-based adhesive comprising a starch-based adhesive and an additive, the additive comprising a dendron, a sugar unit bound to the dendron, and an antimicrobial agent bound to the dendron.

2. The modified starch-based adhesive of claim 1 , wherein the antimicrobial agent comprises at least one of a phenol, a quaternary ammonium salt, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, a hydroxytyrosol, alkyl esters of gallic acid, and combinations thereof.

3. The modified starch-based adhesive of claim 2 , the phenol is selected from a polyphenol, gallic acid and a combination thereof.

4. The modified starch-based adhesive of claim 2 , the quatrernary ammonium salt is selected from benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride, methylbenzethonium chloride, cetalkonium chloride, cetylpyridinium chloride, cetrimonium, cetrimide, dofanium chloride, tetraethylammonium bromide, didecyldimethylammonium chloride, domiphen bromide and a combination thereof.

5. The modified starch-based adhesive of claim 1 , wherein the antimicrobial agent comprises a quaternary ammonium salt having a structure of the formula O-alkyl-NR 1 R 2 R 3 X, wherein R 1 -R 3 are alkyl chains, and wherein X is a counterion.

6. The modified starch-based adhesive of claim 5 wherein the counterion comprises a chloride.

7. The modified starch-based adhesive of claim 1 , wherein the dendron is a Frechet-type poly (aryl ether) dendron.

8. The modified starch-based adhesive of claim 7 wherein the dendron comprises a generation 3 Frechet-type poly(aryl ether) dendron, a generation 4 Frechet-type poly(aryl ether) dendron, or a generation 5 Frechet-type poly(aryl ether) dendron.

9. The modified starch-based adhesive of claim 1 , wherein the sugar unit is an oligometer of a hexose sugar, linked together by either α-(1,4) or α-(1,6) glycosidic bonds.

10. The modified starch-based adhesive of claim 1 , wherein, upon combination of the additive with a starch-based adhesive to form a modified starch-based adhesive, the modified starch-based adhesive has a water solubility of about 101% to about 200% of the same starch-based adhesive in the absence of the additive.

11. The modified starch-based adhesive of claim 1 , wherein upon combination of the additive with a starch-based adhesive to form a modified starch-based adhesive, the modified starch-based adhesive becomes more resistant to growth of at least one of mold, fungus, bacteria, and combinations thereof than a sample of the same starch-based adhesive in the absence of the additive.

12. The modified starch-based adhesive of claim 1 , wherein upon combination of the additive with a starch-based adhesive to form a modified starch-based adhesive, and upon curing, the modified starch-based adhesive is more pliable, more resistant to chipping, more resistant to cracking, or more resistant to microbial growth than a cured sample of the same starch-based adhesive in the absence of the starch-based adhesive.

13. The modified starch-based adhesive of claim 1 , wherein the additive comprises the formula:

14. The modified starch-based adhesive of claim 1 , wherein the dendron comprises a linker molecule covalently bonded to the dendron.

15. The modified starch-based adhesive of claim 14 , wherein the linker molecule is 1,3,5, tris bromomethyl benzene.

16. The modified starch-based adhesive of claim 1 , further comprising a water solvent carrier, wherein a solids concentration of the modified starch-based adhesive in the water solvent carrier is greater than 25% w/v.

17. The modified starch-based adhesive of claim 1 , wherein the starch-based adhesive is a dextrin adhesive.

18. The modified starch-based adhesive of claim 9 , wherein the hexose sugar is selected from D-glucose, D-allose, D-altrose, D-mannose, D-gulose, D-idose, D-galactose, D-talose and combinations thereof.

19. The modified starch-based adhesive of claim 1 , wherein the additive comprises the formula:

20. The modified starch-based adhesive of claim 1 , wherein the additive comprises the formula:

21. The modified starch-based adhesive of claim 14 , wherein the additive comprises the formula:

wherein x is an integer between 2 and 18, R is an alkyl group of variable length from 1 to 18 carbons and wherein X is a counterion selected from chloride and bromide.

22. The modified starch-based adhesive of claim 1 , wherein the additive comprises the formula:

wherein x is an integer between 2 and 18, R is an alkyl group of variable length from 1 to 18 carbons and wherein X is a counterion selected from chloride and bromide.

23. A method of forming a modified a starch-based adhesive, the method comprising addition of an additive to a starch-based adhesive wherein the additive comprises a dendron, a sugar unit bound to the dendron, and antimicrobial agent bound to the dendron.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the antimicrobial agent comprises at least one of a phenol, a quaternary ammonium salt, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, a hydroxytyrosol, alkyl esters of gallic acid, and combinations thereof.

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the antimicrobial agent comprises a quaternary ammonium salt having a structure of the formula O-alkyl-NR 1 R 2 R 3 X, wherein R 1 -R 3 are alkyl chains, and wherein X is a counterion.

26. The method of claim 23 , wherein the dendron is a Frechet-type poly (aryl ether) dendron.

27. The method of claim 23 , wherein the sugar unit is an oligomer of a hexose sugar, linked together by either α-(1,4) or α-(1,6) glycosidic bonds.

28. The method of claim 23 , wherein, upon combination of the additive with a starch-based adhesive to form a modified starch-based adhesive, the modified starch-based adhesive has a water solubility of about 101% to about 200% of the same starch-based adhesive in the absence of the additive.

29. The method of claim 23 , wherein upon combination of the additive with a starch-based adhesive to form a modified starch-based adhesive, the modified starch-based adhesive becomes more resistant to growth of at least one of mold, fungus, bacteria, and combinations thereof than a sample of the starch-based adhesive in the absence of the additive.

30. The method of claim 23 , wherein upon combination of the additive with a starch-based adhesive to form a modified starch-based adhesive, and upon curing, the modified starch-based adhesive is more pliable, more resistant to chipping, more resistant to cracking, or more resistant to mocrobial growth than a cured sample of the starch-based adhesive in the absence of the additive.

31. The method of claim 23 whereby the dendron additive comprises the formula:

32. The method of claim 23 , further comprising adding a water solvent carrier, wherein a solids concentration of the modified starch-based adhesive in the water solvent carrier is greater than 25% w/v.