Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology (SLINTEC), Nanotechnology and Science Park, Pitipana, Homagama, Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology (SLINTEC), Nanotechnology and Science Park, Pitipana, Homagama, Sri Lanka; Electrical Engineering Division, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, 9 J. J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0FA, UK.
Carbohydr Polym. 2017 Feb 10;157:739-747. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2016.10.038. Epub 2016 Oct 14.
Chitosan nanocomposite thin films were fabricated by incorporating MgO nanoparticles to significantly improve its physical properties for potential packaging applications. A novel in-situ method was developed to synthesise spherical shaped MgO nanoparticles by heat-treating magnesium carbonate/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) composite precursor. Optimum mechanical properties of chitosan composites were yielded at 5 (w/w%) of MgO concentration, where tensile stress and elastic modulus significantly improved by 86% and 38%, respectively, compared to those of pure chitosan films. These improvements are due to the interaction of hydroxyl and amine groups of chitosan with MgO as confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. Fracture surface morphology indicated the interplay between MgO dispersion and aggregation on the mechanical properties at different MgO concentrations. Furthermore, the chitosan/MgO nanocomposites displayed remarkable thermal stability, flame retardant properties (satisfied V0 rating according to the UL-94 standards), UV shielding and moisture barrier properties, which could certainly add value to the packaging material.
壳聚糖纳米复合材料薄膜通过掺入 MgO 纳米粒子来制备，这显著提高了其物理性能，有望用于潜在的包装应用。通过热处理碳酸镁/聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯（PMMA）复合前体，开发了一种新颖的原位方法来合成球形 MgO 纳米粒子。在 5（w/w%）的 MgO 浓度下，壳聚糖复合材料的最佳机械性能得以实现，与纯壳聚糖薄膜相比，拉伸应力和弹性模量分别显著提高了 86%和 38%。这些改进归因于壳聚糖的羟基和胺基与 MgO 的相互作用，这通过傅里叶变换红外光谱得到了证实。断裂表面形貌表明，在不同的 MgO 浓度下，MgO 的分散和聚集对机械性能的相互作用。此外，壳聚糖/MgO 纳米复合材料表现出优异的热稳定性、阻燃性能（根据 UL-94 标准满足 V0 等级）、紫外线屏蔽和防潮性能，这肯定会为包装材料增加价值。
