Self-healable, transparent, and antifogging polysaccharide films composed of acrylamide-modified chitosan (AMCS) and alginate aldehyde (ADA) were fabricated via layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly. The Schiff base linkage formed between amino groups of AMCS and aldehyde groups of ADA was used to construct the films. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectra revealed that the films were cross-linked through Schiff base bonds. Ultraviolet− visible spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscope characterizations demonstrated that the films exhibited linear growth during the LBL process. The films showed a repetitive self-healing property, and the repeated damage-healing of the films was thickness-dependent. The films can heal the scratches that penetrated to the underlying substrates. Besides the excellent self-healing property, the films showed an antifogging property due to the hydrophilic nature of the two polysaccharides. The antifogging ability of the film was thickness-dependent. Also, the films could regain their transmittance and fog-resistant property after mechanical abrasion due to their self-healing capability. These self-healable and fog-resistant polymeric films have potential applications in food packaging.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.