Graphene Oxide Reinforced Chitosan/Polyvinylpyrrolidone Polymer Bio-Nanocomposites

Bio-nanocomposite films based on chitosan/polyvinylpyrrolidone (CS/PVP) and graphene oxide (GO) were processed using the casting/evaporation technique. It has been found that the three components of bio-nanocomposites can be easily mixed in controlled conditions enabling the formation of thick films with high quality, smooth surface and good flexibility. Structural and morphological characterizations showed that the GO sheets are well dispersed in the CS/PVP blend forming strong interfacial interactions that provide an enhanced load transfer between polymer chains and GO sheets thus improving their properties. It has been found that the water resistance of the CS/PVP blend is improved, and the hydrolytic degradation is limited by addition of 0.75 and 2 wt % GO. The modulus, strength, elongation and toughness of the bio-nanocomposites are together increased. Herein, the steps to form new bio-nanocomposite films have been described, taking the advantage of the combination of CS, PVP and GO to design the aforementioned bio-nanocomposite films, which allow to have extraordinary properties that would have promising applications as eventual packaging materials. (C) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.