Development of Curcumin Loaded Nanoparticles‐Modified PBAT/PLA Smart Colorimetric Films With Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Properties

ABSTRACT Curcumin is a common natural dye that has been applied to the study of smart packaging. In order to further enhance the stability and bioavailability of curcumin in packaging materials, three different types of nanoparticles (Zn‐MOF, CaCO 3 , and SiO 2 ) were separately investigated to screen for suitable curcumin carriers, and Cur@nanoparticles were synthesized and added into the PBAT/PLA polymer matrix. This study investigated the effects of Cur@nanoparticles on the mechanical properties, thermal properties, hydrophobic properties, antimicrobial properties, antioxidant properties, and ammonia response function of PBAT/PLA films. The results showed that Cur@nanoparticles significantly enhanced the performance of PBAT/PLA composite materials, with Cur@Zn‐MOF/PBAT/PLA composite films exhibiting the best overall performance. The material exhibited a fracture elongation of 588%, mechanical strength of 16.23 MPa, and antioxidant efficiency of 70%. It also demonstrated good inhibitory effects against E. coli and S. aureus , as well as a significant ammonia‐responsive color‐changing function, where the film color changes from yellow to orange‐red in an ammonia atmosphere. Zn‐MOF can serve as an excellent carrier for curcumin. The Cur@Zn‐MOF/PBAT/PLA composite film meets research expectations and has the potential to visualize food freshness while also expanding the application scenarios of PBAT/PLA composite films.