He Xinru, Zhang Zhanpeng, Xuan Xuan, Tan Tingyuan, Sun Jiaxuan, Wang Biao, Tian Yu, Chen Heng
Research Institute of Interdisciplinary Science, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, China.
Research Institute of Interdisciplinary Science, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Extreme Conditions, Dongguan 523803, China.
Int J Biol Macromol. 2025 Apr;300:140250. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.140250. Epub 2025 Jan 23.
The application of chitosan in packaging has always been limited due to its brittle and hygroscopic nature. In this study, hydrophobic short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were utilized to modify chitosan to overcome this issue. For the first time, hydrophobic SCFAs, typically hexanoic acid and its homologs, were found to be able to dissolve chitosan in water as well as its hydrophilic analog. After water was removed through evaporation, hydrophobic SCFA-modified chitosan films were obtained. The results of mechanical testing and DSC analysis confirmed that these hydrophobic SCFAs could effectively plasticize the chitosan film. Moreover, water contact angle measurements revealed that the hydrophilicity of these plasticized chitosan films was significantly reduced. The findings from the moisture uptake experiments indicated that linear hydrophobic SCFAs reduced the hygroscopicity of the chitosan film. Additionally, the crystal structures, thermal and gas barrier properties, and antibacterial activities of these hydrophobic SCFA-modified films were systematically examined and compared with those of hydrophilic SCFA-modified chitosan. This study presents an innovative and practical method for modifying chitosan films by regulating the structure of the cosolvent, thereby facilitating the real-world application of chitosan-based food packaging materials.
壳聚糖由于其脆性和吸湿性，在包装领域的应用一直受到限制。在本研究中，利用疏水性短链脂肪酸（SCFAs）对壳聚糖进行改性以解决这一问题。首次发现疏水性SCFAs，特别是己酸及其同系物，能够使壳聚糖及其亲水性类似物溶解于水中。通过蒸发除去水分后，得到了疏水性SCFA改性的壳聚糖薄膜。力学测试和DSC分析结果证实，这些疏水性SCFAs能够有效地使壳聚糖薄膜增塑。此外，水接触角测量表明，这些增塑壳聚糖薄膜的亲水性显著降低。吸湿实验结果表明，线性疏水性SCFAs降低了壳聚糖薄膜的吸湿性。此外，系统地研究了这些疏水性SCFA改性薄膜的晶体结构、热性能和气体阻隔性能以及抗菌活性，并与亲水性SCFA改性壳聚糖薄膜进行了比较。本研究提出了一种通过调节助溶剂结构来改性壳聚糖薄膜的创新实用方法，从而促进了壳聚糖基食品包装材料的实际应用。
