The effect of ZnO nanoparticles as Ag-carrier in PBAT for antimicrobial films

Author(s)

de Souza, Alana G. ; Komatsu, Luiz Gustavo H. ; Barbosa, Rennan F. S. ; Parra, Duclerc F. ; Rosa, Derval S.

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: POLYMER BULLETIN; v. 79, n. 6, p. 18-pg., 2021-04-19.

Abstract

Zinc oxide (ZnO) and ZnO-silver (ZnO-Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) are widely used in different fields, such as biomedicine and food packaging, due to their recognized antibacterial activity and safety for human health. In this paper, ZnO and ZnO-Ag NPs were incorporated into poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT), in two contents (0.5 and 1 wt%), to prepare antibacterial films. The NPs were characterized by TEM and FT-Raman, and the films were analyzed by FT-Raman and FTIR, mechanical properties, SEM-EDS, TGA, DSC, XRD, and antibacterial properties against Escherichia coli. The results indicate that both NPs were physically retained in the polymer structure, with a strong electrostatic interaction between the mixture components, reflecting excellent mechanical behavior. The films showed good thermal stability, without significant changes, and the nanocomposites enhanced PBAT crystallinity from 18 to 23% and 27% for PBAT-ZnO and PBAT-ZnO-Ag films, respectively. The mechanical, thermal, and crystallinity results indicated the excellent potential of NPs in biodegradable films to improve properties and expand applicability. The antimicrobial activity is higher for PBAT-ZnO-Ag films than the pristine PBAT due to the synergic effect between the NPs and the oxidation-reduction potential of each nanoparticle, where the ZnO protect and stabilized the Ag-NPs, acting as an Ag-carrier, enhancing its antimicrobial effects after the film's preparation and allowing its applicability in biomedical products or food packaging. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/11277-7 - PBAT films with cellulose nanostructures treated with essential oils encapsulated for active packaging
• Grantee: Derval dos Santos Rosa
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants