Intrinsically Antibacterial Carbon Nanoparticles Optimally Entangle into Polymeric Films to Produce Composite Packaging

Abstract

The quality of food, pharmaceutical, or sustainability products is generally maintained through optimal storage conditions or the use of packaging films. Herein, an intrinsically antibacterial and improvised polylactic acid-based film (hpp-PLA-film) has been produced by introducing a microwave-assisted synthesis process of carbon nanoparticles produced from hemp fibers (hf-CNPs). These high-performance packaging (hpp-PLA) films were produced with different percentages of loaded hf-CNPs, i.e., 0.05 and 0.5% (w/w), called hpp-PLA-0.05-film and hpp-PLA-0.5-film, respectively. The chemical entangling of hf-CNPs in PLA films was probed by various physicochemical, thermal, and mechanical characterization methods. The antibacterial properties of hpp-PLA-films could inhibit bacterial growth and outperform kanamycin, at least for longer time periods. Overall, it could be established that the produced hpp-PLA-0.05-film not only was better in mechanical, antibacterial, dissolution, and physical impact sustainability but also had biodegradation properties and may be a better alternative for regular PLA-based packaging composites in the near future.