Chitosan-based films with silver nanoparticles incorporated for food packaging applications

Abstract

Objectives: This work was performed to study aspects such as morphological characteristics, thermal analysis, and antimicrobial activity of chitosan films that incorporate silver nanoparticles. Methods/Analysis: The films were analyzed by the followings techniques: a) FT-IR analysis to identify their functional groups, b) Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to study the morphological structure of the samples. c) UV-spectroscopy to obtain the intensity of the band in the films, d) DSC-TGA measurements to determine the thermal stability of the material, and e) the disk method to examine the antimicrobial activity of the samples. Findings: The films showed a good interaction between their components. Also, a good thermal stability, a protective barrier against ultraviolet light, a high rugosity, and high antimicrobial activity were observed in samples that incorporated a higher concentration of silver nanoparticles. Novelty/ Improvement: These results suggested that chitosan-based films with silver nanoparticles incorporated are a potential material for food packaging.