Abstract
Polymeric materials, such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and ethylene–PVA copolymers (EVOH) are widely used in the food sector as packaging materials because of their excellent properties. TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) show photocatalytic activity; when added to the aforementioned polymers, on the one hand, they are expected to provide bactericidal capacity, whereas on the other hand, they could favor nanocomposite degradation. These types of nanoparticles can be derivatized with cyclodextrin macromolecules (CDs), which can act as food preservative carriers, increasing the packaging food protective properties. In this work, films containing β-Cyclodextrin (βCD)-grafted TiO2 nanoparticles and PVA or EVOH were prepared. Regarding the photocatalytic activity of the nanoparticles and the possible environmental protection, accelerated aging tests for PVA, EVOH, and their composites with cyclodextrin-grafted TiO2 nanoparticle (NP) films were performed by two methods, namely, stability chamber experiments at different conditions of temperature and relative humidity and UV light irradiation at different intensities. After analyzing the systems color changes (CIELAB) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra, it was observed that the film degradation became more evident when increasing the temperature (25–80 °C) and relative humidity percentage (28–80%). There was no significant influence of the presence of CDs during the degradation process. When irradiating the films with UV light, the largest color variation was observed in the nanocomposite films, as expected. Moreover, the color change was more relevant with increasing NP percentages (1–5%) due to the high photocatalytic activity of TiO2. In addition, films were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy and variation in the signal intensities was observed, suggesting the increase of the material degradation in the presence of TiO2 NPs.
Highlights
In the food industry, regarding the economic and environmental costs involved, many aspirations focus on improving food preservation in certain ways, including the packaging of perishable products
Some characteristic bands corresponding to all the reactants were noticed in the spectra of modified NPs, as well as other new functional groups created during the reaction, proving the actual bonding of the βCD to the TiO2
Regarding the characteristic vibrations of the linear spacer covalently attached to TiO2 NPs and βCD, the hexamethylene diisocyanate (HMDI), βCD-TiO2 NP spectrum exhibited a band at ca. 1650 cm−1 due to the –C=O groups
Summary
In the food industry, regarding the economic and environmental costs involved, many aspirations focus on improving food preservation in certain ways, including the packaging of perishable products. Two approaches are used: (a) introduction of the active substance together with the product in a small bag or envelope, or (b) incorporation of the active element into the packaging as an additive. This second option is more attractive to the consumer, because it avoids incorporating foreign elements into the food itself
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