Antibacterial thermoplastic starch-chitosan based materials prepared by melt-mixing

Abstract

Antibacterial thermoplastic starch-chitosan based materials were successfully prepared by melt-mixing. The effect of chitosan modification (quaternization and grafting of long carbon chains) on the properties of the materials was also studied. All the ensuing materials were characterized in terms of thermal stability, crystalline structure, mechanical performance, and antibacterial activity. The incorporation of chitosan and its derivatives into the thermoplastic starch matrices resulted in an increment in tensile strengths (up to 85%); however for higher chitosan contents (5 and 7.5 wt.%), a decrease on the Young's modulus (around 50%) was observed, together with an increment in the elongation at break, which can be attributed to the prevention of the retrogradation process. Finally, the thermoplastic starch materials incorporated with 7.5 wt% of the unmodified chitosan and of the water-soluble chitosan derivative had partial (about 20% reduction of CFU) and total bactericidal effect against S. aureus.