Design and characterization of an antibacterial film composited by hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS), and nano ZnO for food packaging

For food packaging, a novel composite film was prepared by solution casting method using hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS), and zinc oxide nanoparticles as raw materials. The composite film successfully compounded the nanoparticles, as deduced by spectroscopy, crystallography and morphology observation. The addition of CMCS and ZnO enhanced the solvent resistance (the water solubility of the composite film was reduced by 94.3 %) and UV shielding ability (the UV shielding capacity of the composite film was increased by 45.73 %) of the composite film, thus improving the application prospects of the composite film in water-rich foods. In addition, the synergistic effect of CMCS and ZnO helped the composite film to efficiently inhibit the pathogenic bacteria Listeria monocytogenes and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (rate of inhibition>99.99 %) in food. The addition of CMCS and ZnO also significantly improved the elasticity (improve 494.34 %) and maximum load capacity (improve 142.24 %) of the composite film.