Evaluation on Structural Properties and Performances of Graphene Oxide Incorporated into Chitosan/Poly-Lactic Acid Composites: CS/PLA versus CS/PLA-GO

Abstract

In this work, to fabricate a novel composite consisting of chitosan/poly-lactic acid doped with graphene oxide (CS/PLA-GO), composites were prepared via solution blending method to create various compositions of CS and PLA (90/10, 70/30 and 50/50CS/PLA-GO). Graphene oxide (GO) was added into a PLA solution prior to blending it with chitosan (CS). The surface morphology and structural properties of synthesized composites were characterized using FT-IR, SEM and XRD analysis. The performances of synthesized composites on thermal strength, mechanical strength, water absorption, and microbial activity were also evaluated through standard testing methods. The morphology of 70/30CS/PLA-GO became smoother with the addition of GO due to enhanced interfacial adhesion between CS, PLA and GO. The presence of GO has also improved the miscibility of CS and PLA and has superior properties compared to CS/PLA composites. Moreover, the addition of GO has boosted the thermal stability of the composite, with a significant enhancement of Td and Tg. The highest Td and Tg were accomplished at 389 °C and 76.88 °C, respectively, for the 70/30CS/PLA-GO composite in comparison to the CS and PLA that recorded Td at 272 °C and 325 °C and Tg at 61 °C and 60 °C, respectively. In addition, as reinforcement, GO provided a significant influence on the tensile strength of composites where the tensile modulus showed remarkable improvement compared to pure CS and CS/PLA composites. Furthermore, CS/PLA-GO composites showed excellent water-barrier properties. Among other compositions, 70/30CS/PLA revealed the greatest decrement in water absorption. From the antibacterial results, it was observed that 90/10CS/PLA-GO and 70/30CS/PLA-GO showed an inhibitory effect and had wide inhibition zones which were 8.0 and 8.5 mm, respectively, against bacteria Bacillus Subtillis B29.

Expanding Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) Applications: A Review on Modifications and Effects

“…In another investigation [ 173 ], solution blending was used to fabricate chitosan/PLA composites doped with graphene oxide (GO). GO was added into a PLA solution before blending it with chitosan.…”

“…The study concluded that the prepared composites with GO have high potential to be used in biomedical applications such as drug delivery. Furthermore, the developed composites can be also utilized in food packaging applications [ 173 ].…”

Facile Surface Treatment of 3D-Printed PLA Filter for Enhanced Graphene Oxide Doping and Effective Removal of Cationic Dyes

“…The peak assignments of neat PLA are shown in Figure 6 a, and they are consistent with the values reported in the literature [ 42 ]. Infrared bands can be observed in the region between 2996 and 2946 cm −1 , and they are ascribed to the asymmetric v (CH 2 ) and symmetric v (CH 2 ), which are readily recognizable in the spectra of PLA-acetone and GO/PLA [ 43 ]. The bands at 1454 and 1382 cm −1 correspond to bending vibrations of the methyl group (-CH 3 ) in PLA [ 26 ].…”

“…As shown in Figure 7 , in the case of pristine PLA, major weight loss occurred at 360 °C, indicating its decomposition with a total mass loss of 98.12%. By contrast, the TGA curve of GO/PLA revealed one weight loss event at 339 °C, and the lowered decomposition temperature was attributed to the reaction between GO and PLA [ 43 ]. Unexpectedly, the GO peak was not observed, or it could have merged with the PLA peak, although GO decomposition was expected to occur at approximately ~258 °C owing to the removal of the oxygen-containing groups of GO [ 49 ].…”

Physico-chemical characteristics of biodegradable poly (lactic acid) and poly (lactic acid)/ chitosan composites under the influence of gamma irradiation

“…However, the hydrophilic nanoparticle granules and the hydrophobic PLA have a weak interfacial contact. To overcome these restrictions, researchers looked into modifying, processing, and the qualities of mixes to improve phase compatibility (Martinez Villadiego et al 2021, Mohamad et al 2021). These particles have some of the bene ts of natural polymers and some of the general properties of nanomaterials, such as tiny size, surface, and interface effects.…”