Development and characterization of films based on Poly(3- hydroxybutyrate) with added ZnOnano

Summary

Industrial Poly(hydroxybutyrate) PHB films were produced with the addition of nanostructured zinc oxide (ZnOnano) in different proportions (1, 3, 5% w/w). The films were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The antimicrobial activity against the bacteria E. coli was also evaluated. Homogeneous films with good dispersion of the nanoparticles in the polymer matrix were obtained. The stability of the polymer was not compromised by the nanoparticles, which functioned as nucleating agents to increase the crystallinity of the polymer. The principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the nanoclay modified the vibrations of the functional groups, indicating the existence of interactions between the polymer and ZnOnano. The nanocomposite film containing 5% of ZnOnano inhibited the growth of pathogenic E. coli., thus showing promise for applications in the food packaging industry.

Keywords:
Antimicrobial activity; PHB; ZnO nanoparticles; Principal component analysis; Thermal analysis