Fabrication of Pectin and Chitosan based Bioplastic Films Incorporated with ZnO Nanoparticles for Food Packaging Application

Abstract

The demand for biodegradable and environmentally friendly food packaging stems from growing environmental concerns about traditional plastics, which contribute to pollution and take centuries to decompose. Bioplastics provide a sustainable alternative that reduces reliance on fossil fuels while minimising environmental effect. In this study, pectin was utilised as a matrix, chitosan as a co-biopolymer, and glutamic acid and glycerol as natural plasticisers to create bioplastics by hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions, which were accompanied by weak vander Waal's forces. The FTIR study showed the presence of hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions, whilst the XRD pattern revealed the bioplastics' semi-crystalline structure. Their swelling ratio was between (30-335 ± 20%) and mass loss (53-75 ± 5%), making them sensitive to hydrolysis after a 24-hour incubation in water. The reported tensile modulus ranged from 0.1 to 3.30 N/mm2, with A3+3% NPs having the highest (3.30 N/mm2), which can be attributed to the greater plasticization effect in the A1+3% NPs. After 7 days of dipping in soil, the samples containing ZnO nanoparticles showed a degradation of up to 9.92% and were eco-friendly according to eco-toxicity assays, making them suitable for use in food packaging applications. As a result, these pure biobased polymers could serve as beneficial materials for future food packaging application.