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<p>Chitosan (CS) films are promising biodegradable materials; however, their high hydrophilicity and limited thermal stability restrict their practical applications. In this work, the properties of chitosan films were enhanced by incorporating shellac and spinel nanoparticles, selected for their thermal stability, hydrophobicity, antibacterial characteristics, availability, and cost-effectiveness, as alternatives to non-biodegradable synthetic polymers. CoAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> and CuAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> spinel nanoparticles were synthesized using a modified Pechini method and integrated with natural chitosan and shellac (SH) polymers to create innovative composite membranes for potential food packaging applications.</p><p>Composite films were prepared through a simple and adaptable solution-mixing and casting approach. The chitosan/shellac composites containing CoAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> and CuAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> nanoparticles were characterized using FTIR and XRD techniques. Thermal analysis confirmed enhanced thermal stability in the composite films compared to chitosan/shellac alone.</p><p>SEM analysis demonstrated a homogeneous distribution of the spinel nanoparticles within the films. The inclusion of 10% shellac significantly improved the mechanical properties of the composites, enhancing tensile strength, strain at maximum load, Young’s modulus, and burst strength by 114–123%, 3.6–3.8, 103–170, and 179–186%, respectively, for low- and high- molecular-weight chitosan. Notably, the chitosan/shellac-CoAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> composite exhibited superior performance compared to its CuAl₂O₄ counterpart.</p><p>Antimicrobial assessment revealed that composites containing shellac (5%), chitosan (2%), and 0.05–0.1&#xa0;g of CuAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> achieved microbial inhibition percentages ranging from 93 to 98%. These findings highlight the potential of chitosan/shellac/CoAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> and CuAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> composite films as sustainable, biodegradable, and multifunctional materials for food packaging applications. This study introduces a novel approach by combining natural polymers (chitosan and shellac) with spinel nanoparticles to overcome the inherent limitations of pure chitosan films.</p>

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Innovative packaging films with enhanced properties based on natural polymers and CoAl2O4 or CuAl2O4 spinel nanoparticles

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月19日

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  • Saleh D. Mekkey,
  • Salah A. A. Mohamed,
  • Abdelmageed M. Othman,
  • Mohamed El-Sakhawy

摘要

Chitosan (CS) films are promising biodegradable materials; however, their high hydrophilicity and limited thermal stability restrict their practical applications. In this work, the properties of chitosan films were enhanced by incorporating shellac and spinel nanoparticles, selected for their thermal stability, hydrophobicity, antibacterial characteristics, availability, and cost-effectiveness, as alternatives to non-biodegradable synthetic polymers. CoAl2O4 and CuAl2O4 spinel nanoparticles were synthesized using a modified Pechini method and integrated with natural chitosan and shellac (SH) polymers to create innovative composite membranes for potential food packaging applications.

Composite films were prepared through a simple and adaptable solution-mixing and casting approach. The chitosan/shellac composites containing CoAl2O4 and CuAl2O4 nanoparticles were characterized using FTIR and XRD techniques. Thermal analysis confirmed enhanced thermal stability in the composite films compared to chitosan/shellac alone.

SEM analysis demonstrated a homogeneous distribution of the spinel nanoparticles within the films. The inclusion of 10% shellac significantly improved the mechanical properties of the composites, enhancing tensile strength, strain at maximum load, Young’s modulus, and burst strength by 114–123%, 3.6–3.8, 103–170, and 179–186%, respectively, for low- and high- molecular-weight chitosan. Notably, the chitosan/shellac-CoAl2O4 composite exhibited superior performance compared to its CuAl₂O₄ counterpart.

Antimicrobial assessment revealed that composites containing shellac (5%), chitosan (2%), and 0.05–0.1 g of CuAl2O4 achieved microbial inhibition percentages ranging from 93 to 98%. These findings highlight the potential of chitosan/shellac/CoAl2O4 and CuAl2O4 composite films as sustainable, biodegradable, and multifunctional materials for food packaging applications. This study introduces a novel approach by combining natural polymers (chitosan and shellac) with spinel nanoparticles to overcome the inherent limitations of pure chitosan films.