Multifunctional Bio-Nanocomposite Films of Carboxymethyl Cellulose and Pectin with Incorporated Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles

Abstract

This study mainly deals with preparing multifunctional bio-nano composite films composed of carboxymethyl cellulose and pectin moieties incorporated with zinc oxide NPs produced by wet casting techniques. The zinc oxide NPs were produced by the green synthetic route. The physiological properties of synthesized zinc oxide NPs were well characterized using U.V-Visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and a particle size analyzer. The morphological properties of the films blended with Zinc oxide NPs were thoroughly characterized using Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and their antimicrobial activity studies were also performed by disc diffusion method against E. Coli, Bacillus, Streptococcus aureus, Klebsiella. The effects of CMC and Pectin were tested for their water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), and the mechanical properties of the ZnO NPs blended with bio-nano composites were also evaluated. The bio-nano composite films showed that good water vapor barrier capacity, incorporating Zinc Oxide NPs into the biofilms, further improves the additional mechanical properties and antimicrobial properties. The above prepared ZnO NPs based bio-nano composite films could be used for packaging applications.