Properties of chitosan films modified with TiO 2 nanoparticles promising as biodegradable food packaging

• Published in: Journal of physics. Conference series 2024-09, Vol.2845 (1), p.12035
• Main Authors: Sundareva Yu, A., Dumina, I. S., Salomatina, E.V., Smirnova, O.N., Bulanov, E.N., Zarubin, D.M., Smirnova, L.A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1742-6588; 1742-6596
• DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/2845/1/012035

The structure, tensile strength and thermo-physical properties of chitosan films reinforced by TiO 2 nanoparticles and obtained from aqueous solutions of various acids - hydrochloric acid, acetic acid, and lactic acid - were investigated. The TiO 2 nanoparticles concentration was from 0.5 to 10 wt.% relative to the chitosan weight. The tensile strengths of all chitosan films prepared from aqueous solutions of acetic acid and hydrochloric acid containing TiO 2 nanoparticles were greater than 80 MPa, while this characteristic for initial chitosan was approximately 35 MPa. The highest tensile strength was 127 MPa with an elongation of 13% was found for samples with TiO 2 concentration 0.5 wt.% and obtained using acetic acid. These effects can be attributed to changes in the film structure when TiO 2 small amount was added to it which was confirmed by IR-spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. A glass transition temperature increasing of the samples were determined in the TiO 2 presence. Moreover, the films exhibited antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and were able to biodegrade.