Preparation and Characterization of Chitosan-Based Nanocomposite Films with Antimicrobial Activity

TLDR

Four chitosan-based nanocomposite films were fabricated by solvent casting with four nanoparticle types—unmodified montmorillonite, organically modified montmorillonite, nano‑silver, and Ag‑zeolite. X‑ray diffraction revealed intercalation, especially in Na‑MMT films, while SEM showed homogeneous dispersion except for nano‑silver; this intercalation improved tensile strength by 7–16% and reduced water vapor permeability by 25–30%, and silver‑containing films exhibited strong antimicrobial activity. Keywords: chitosan-based film, nanocomposite, montmorillonite, nano‑silver, Ag‑zeolite, antimicrobial activity.

Abstract

Four different types of chitosan-based nanocomposite films were prepared using a solvent-casting method by incorporation with four types of nanoparticles, that is, an unmodified montmorillonite (Na-MMT), an organically modified montmorillonite (Cloisite 30B), a Nano-silver, and a Ag-zeolite (Ag-Ion). X-ray diffraction patterns of the nanocomposite films indicated that a certain degree of intercalation was formed in the nanocomposite films, with the highest intercalation in the Na-MMT-incorporated films followed by films with Cloisite 30B and Ag-Ion. Scanning electron micrographs showed that in all of the nanocomposite films, except the Nano-silver-incorporated one, nanoparticles were dispersed homogeneously throughout the chitosan polymer matrix. Consequently, mechanical and barrier properties of chitosan films were affected through intercalation of nanoparticles, that is, tensile strength increased by 7−16%, whereas water vapor permeability decreased by 25−30% depending on the nanoparticle material tested. In addition, chitosan-based nanocomposite films, especially silver-containing ones, showed a promising range of antimicrobial activity. Keywords: Chitosan-based film; nanocomposite; montmorillonite; Nano-silver; Ag-zeolite; antimicrobial activity