Abstract

Properties of chitosan/poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(D,L-lactide) nanocomposite films:Water vapor permeability and mechanical properties

Author(s): Supawut Khamhan, Mangkorn Srisa-ard, Yodthong Baimark

Biodegradable chitosan nanocomposite films contained dispersed nanoparticles ofmethoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(D,L-lactide) (MPEGb- PDLL) diblock copolymerwere prepared by filmcasting ofMPEG-b-PDLL nanoparticle suspension-chitosan solution. The nanoparticles were formed in the chitosan solution by spontaneous emulsification solvent diffusion method. The nanoparticleswith less than 500 nmin size distributed throughout the chitosan filmmatrices. Theywere nearly spherical in shape. The chitosan/ MPEG-b-PDLL nanocomposite films had lower filmtransparency and water vapor permeability than the chitosan film. The tensile strength at break of the nanocomposite films increased and elongation at break decreased as the increasing ofMPEG-b-PDLLratio. The filmtransparency, water vapor permeability and mechanical properties of nanocomposite films can be controlled by adjusting theMPEG-b-PDLL ratio.