Preparation and performance of composite films based on 2-(2-aminoethoxy) ethyl chitosan and cellulose

Abstract

In this study, antioxidant active films were prepared from 2-(2-aminoethoxy) ethyl chitosan (AECs, a novel chitosan derivative) and cellulose under an environmentally friendly process using ionic liquids (ILs). AEC/cellulose composite films were prepared by efficiently blending AECs into cellulose N-methylmorpholine N-oxide (NMMO)/H₂O solution, followed by shaping in a mold. The microstructure, physical, mechanical and antioxidant properties of the composite films were measured. The resulting composite films exhibited good physical properties, favorable mechanical properties and a high free radical scavenging activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) in methanol. Furthermore, a loading of AECs at 5% into cellulose resulted in significant improvement in antioxidant activity (86.5% ± 2.7%), while a slight decrease in the tensile strength (2.9% ± 0.2%) was noted. This result indicated that the oxidation resistance can be greatly improved by incorporation of AECs without significantly affecting the mechanical properties. The bioactive composite film is expected to be a promising material for potential applications in food packaging.