Starch-Based Bio-Plastics/chemically modified Graphene oxide composites designed as food packaging films with antibacterial properties
Authors: Avni Berisha Fetah Podvorica Sefer Avdiaj Partizan Malkaj Altin Gjevori Arianit Reka Albana Ndreu Halili Prof. Ayhan ORAL Prof. Seyhan Ulusoy
It is clear that the role of plastics is vital in modern society as they are quite widespread in use for applications such as cool drink bottles, toys, food packages, components and containers of electronic equipment, vehicle part, etc [1]. Although these materials are excellent concerning their production cost, thermal barrier properties, chemical stability, etc., still many of them are environmental pollutants as they usually remain non-degradable for a long period in the environment. A desired feature that overcomes their disagreeable environmental impact of packing materials is the use of biodegradable polymers or composite materials [2,3]. In this sense, in the vast number of the biopolymers portfolio, Starch-Based Bio-Plastics SBBP) are considered as the most suitable ones due to their better mechanical properties and also production costs. Although these materials possess the desired mechanical properties with regard to food packing, compared to their counterparts of non-degradable polymers (PE,PP) they suffer from the relatively poor water vapor and oxygen barrier. With the aim to improve such properties, we propose a composite material that is constructed from derived polymers of starch [using plasticizers: glycerol, citric acid, and gelatin] and the modified Graphene Oxide (m-GOx) with suitable polar groups. The choice of using graphene oxide for the composite material construction is based upon its effect shown in recent studies that the use of this 2D carbon nanomaterial reflects its impermeable barrier properties onto composite materials [4–6]. Moreover, apart from improving mechanical and diffusion properties of the composite, the addition of the GOx adds also antibacterial properties to the composite [7,8] .