Antibacterial nanocomposite films based on Poly(vinyl alcohol)/TiO2-Folic acid: Study of physicochemical, optical, and thermal characteristics

In different industries, the manufacturing of antibacterial packaging is an important challenge for researchers. The goal of this project is the fabrication of antibacterial nanocomposite (NC) films based on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and titanium dioxide-folic acid (TiO2-FA) nanoparticles (NPs). Surface modification of TiO2 NPs was done with FA (as biosafe material) molecule and ultrasonic method. Various methods characterized the structure of the prepared PVA/TiO2-FA NC films. The thermogravimetric analysis displayed that the prepared PVA/TiO2-FA NC films had higher thermal stability than the neat PVA. Morphology study of the NC films showed that the TiO2-FA NPs with spherical shape had an excellent dispersion in the PVA matrices. PVA/TiO2-FA NC films had high absorption in Ultra-violet (UV)-A and UV-B regions. Also, the prepared NC film showed the lower permeability for oxygen gas compared with neat PVA. Furthermore, it was found that under UV radiation, the PVA/TiO2-FA NC films showed better antibacterial properties against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria.

Automated summary

This study aimed to fabricate antibacterial nanocomposite films based on PVA and TiO2-FA nanoparticles. The prepared films exhibited high thermal stability, good UV absorption, low oxygen permeability, and excellent antibacterial properties under UV radiation.