# The Simulation of Dielectric Barrier Discharge for Breakdown Voltage in Starch Modification
## 1 Introduction  
Starch, a polymeric carbohydrate molecule, is used in both food and non-food products. It occurs as semi-crystalline granules and serves as the majority of green plants' primary energy store. The starch granule is made up of two main polyglucans called amylose and amylopectin. Both are composed of chains of D-glucose units that are -(1,4)-linked and joined together by -(1,6)-glycoside linkages to form polymer branches [1; 2; 3]. Starch is widely utilized in the food and non-food industries, as well as in the production of biodegradable packaging and in the chemical, pharmaceutical, and biomedical fields [4; 5; 6]. Starch is treated with various physical, chemical, and biological/enzymatic processes to modify its structure and provide it with functional properties needed for particular usages [7; 8; 9]. The limitations of starch's original form prevent its employment in a variety of applications. These shortcomings are mostly brought on by an absence of reactivity, solubility, a propensity for retrogradation, an inability to endure high temperatures, and shearing during processing [10]. To enhance starch's specific characteristics, such as water absorption, water solubility, and/or the ability to form stable gels, various kinds of physicochemical techniques have been used [11; 12]. For modifying starch, various kinds of techniques and procedures were utilized. [PERSON] et al. [9] and [PERSON] et al. [12] reviewed how physical modifications can be made via annealing [10], heat moisture therapy [13],microwaves [14], ultrasound [15], ozone [16], and other methods. Esterification [17], cross-linking [18], and oxidization [19] are often used for modifying chemicals. In the field of enzymatic modification, hydrolyzing enzymes are primarily used for modifying starch [20]. Additionally, the application of cold plasma is a further method for modifying starch, which can improve and enhance its properties. Due to its physical approach to starch modification, which does not involve chemicals (non-toxicity) and is environmentally friendly (non-residual), cold plasma has also been utilized widely in recent years for transforming biological macromolecules [21]. Usually, the DBD technique is used to produce cold plasma. [PERSON] et al. [11] discussed the effects of cold plasma on the physicochemical, structural, and technological characteristics of Aria (_Goopertia allouia_) starch, finding that at 14 kV, the starch chains depolymerized to the greatest extent. In contrast, at 20 kV, oxidized complexes could be produced, enhancing the starch chain's cross-linking. Thus, it was demonstrated that the cold plasma method increased starch digestibility without altering the concentration of resistant starches. Increasing the applied voltage to 14 kV resulted in a considerable reduction in the amylose concentration. The polymer chains of amylose and amylopectin can interact with several reactive species produced by atmospheric DBD, oxidizing these molecules. [PERSON] et al. [22] applied the highest voltage possible from a plasma power source (20 kV) to treat three films (starch, gelatin, and bacterial cellulose films) at various excitation frequencies and treatment times. All three films were enhanced in terms of hydrophobicity, surface morphology, water resistance, and mechanical capabilities after plasma treatment, with the benefit of not requiring more chemical or biological additions. Moreover, they reported that the limitation of the plasma's impact on the mechanical properties of the films is a drawback, as more changes may be made by adding chemicals or producing composites. The findings on the atmospheric DBD and radio frequency (RF)-modified potato starch were published by [PERSON] et al. [23]. The DBD reactor, driven by an RF power supply, operated at 12 kV\({}_{\text{PP}}\) and 25 kHz to generate plasma. The results show that the amylose chains were primarily transformed in a specific way by active species produced by DBD reactors, preferring the order or stability of starch molecules. [PERSON] et al.