Preparation and Properties of Antimicrobial Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)/TiO2 Nanocomposites Films

Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) nanocomposite films with various contents of nano-titanium dioxide (TiO2) and titanium dioxide doped silver (Ag-TiO2) were prepared by a solvent casting method. The TiO2 and Ag-TiO2 nanoparticles were surface-modified with silane coupling agents to improve their compatibility and dispersibility in the PBAT matrix. They were denoted as mTiO(2) and mAg-TiO2, and were characrterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The morphology of the PBAT nanocomposite films was studied by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The crystallinity of the PBAT film increased upon the introduction of the nano-TiO2/Ag-TiO2. Its mechanical properties and gas barrier properties were also significantly improved. In addition, the PBAT/mTiO(2) and PBAT/mAg-TiO2 nanocomposite films showed a strong antibacterial activity against Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) food-borne pathogenic bacteria.