Electrospun Nanosystems Based on PHBV and ZnO for Ecological Food Packaging

Abstract

The electrospun nanosystems containing poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and 1 wt% Fe doped ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) (with the content of dopant in the range of 0–1 wt% Fe) deposited onto polylactic acid (PLA) film were prepared for food packaging application. They were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), antimicrobial analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS) techniques. Migration studies conducted in acetic acid 3% (wt/wt) and ethanol 10% (v/v) food simulants as well as by the use of treated ashes with 3% HNO3 solution reveal that the migration of Zn and Fe falls into the specific limits imposed by the legislation in force. Results indicated that the PLA/PHBV/ZnO:Fex electrospun nanosystems exhibit excellent antibacterial activity against the Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC-27853) due to the generation of a larger amount of perhydroxyl (˙OOH) radicals as assessed using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy coupled with a spin trapping method.

Extrusion and Injection Molding of Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate-co-3-Hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHHx): Influence of Processing Conditions on Mechanical Properties and Microstructure

“…PHBV and PHBHHx display slower crystallization rates than the homopolymer PHB because the co-monomer units are excluded from the PHB lattice during crystallization from the melt, which can be a challenge for efficient processing of PHBHHx, especially in methods with high cooling rates like injection molding [15,16]. Despite the rise in attempts to further improve both thermal and mechanical properties of PHAs with or without processing aids [17][18][19][20], current research regarding PHA processing and compound fabrication mostly relates to batch processing methodologies without the involvement of high temperatures and/or high shear rates, like solution casting [21][22][23], compression molding [24,25], or spinning techniques [26][27][28]. While these techniques are practical for use in a lab-scale context, they often have limited applicability on larger scales.…”

Photoluminescence and Photocatalytic Properties of MWNTs Decorated with Fe-Doped ZnO Nanoparticles

“…The 0.5 mol% Fe-doped ZnO NPs—ZF0.5% were synthesized using the chemical precipitation method. The experimental procedure was performed according to our previous paper [ 30 ], with modifications to the reagent’s concentration and temperature. Thus, stoichiometric amounts, consisting of (3−x) g of Zn(NO 3 ) 2 ·6H 2 O (98%) and x g Fe(NO 3 ) 2 ·9H 2 O (x represents 0.5mol% from Zn(NO 3 ) 2 ·6H 2 O), were dissolved in 100 mL of ultrapure water and mixed under vigorous stirring to form a homogeneous solution.…”

Recent advances in biobased and biodegradable polymer nanocomposites, nanoparticles, and natural antioxidants for antibacterial and antioxidant food packaging applications

“…Biodegradable polymer matrices have been an ecofriendly and widely applied alternative for preparing antibacterial films based on ZnO NPs (Râpă et al, 2021;Sun et al, 2020b). Recently, Zhang et al (2021a) ultrasonically dispersed ZnO NPs in PLA matrices to produce antimicrobial fibrous membranes by electrospinning.…”

“…Biodegradable polymer matrices have been an eco‐friendly and widely applied alternative for preparing antibacterial films based on ZnO NPs (Râpă et al., 2021; Sun et al., 2020b). Recently, Zhang et al.…”