Abstract

Suprabha Palatsingh¹, Abhisikta Mohanta¹, Nihar Ranjan Panda²and Dojalisa Sahu^1*

DOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.13005/ojc/360303

Chitosan and chitosan blended nano ZnO composite biofilms were developed by wet chemical method and the antimicrobial resistance of both the products have been studied. Chitosan powder, zinc acetate and sodium hydroxide with agar-agar (binding agent) were taken as starting materials for the above synthesis. Study on the surface functional groups has been carried out by Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The crystal structure along with phase characteristics and morphology has been investigated by x-ray diffraction (XRD). The mechanical and biodegradability measurements were performed to evaluate the strength of the prepared films. Antibacterial potency of the composite film has been studied towards both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). XRD measurement showed that the synthesized Chitosan/ZnO composite displays hexagonal wurtzite class of crystalline phase structure with size 62 nm. SEM study revealed that the homogenous and polymeric structure of the synthesized film. The bio-composite demonstrated improved and superior defensive properties to bacterial growth with higher zone of inhibition in comparison to pure chitosan case. It has also a greater tensile strength enhancing its application for antimicrobial packaging material.

Antibacterial Activity; Biofilm; Biodegradability; Chitosan; Mechanical Property

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