Abstract
Food packaging plastic waste is posing great threats to ecosystems, human health, and the planet's overall sustainability; therefore, research has been directed towards the fabrication of biodegradable food packaging materials. In this study, active and biodegradable oxalic acid (OA) crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/chitosan (CS) composite films of different weight ratios were synthesized via the solvent casting technique and their food packaging properties were investigated. Owing to its water resistance and antibacterial superiority, the composite film with the ratio of OA chemically crosslinked PVA/CS 80:20 was elected to be coated with green tea extract (GTE) to ameliorate its antibacterial and antioxidant activities. The chemical crosslinking of PVA by OA and the intermolecular hydrogen bonding between PVA and CS were confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. Surface roughness of the composite films mainly determined their antibacterial activities. Interestingly, CS provided the composite films with higher mechanical strength and stiffness along with ultraviolet (UV) barrier and antibacterial properties. Despite reducing the water resistance, barrier properties and thermal stability of the composite films, the values are comparable to literature and the produced films are of a great potential for food packaging applications. Furthermore, GTE coating further augmented the active properties of the elected composite film yielding it quite applicable for active food packaging purposes.
School
School of Sciences and Engineering
Department
Chemistry Department
Degree Name
MS in Chemistry
Graduation Date
Fall 2-15-2025
Submission Date
9-5-2024
First Advisor
Tarek Madkour
Committee Member 1
Hatem Talima
Committee Member 2
Mohamad Mohamad Ayad
Committee Member 3
Ehab Elsawy
Extent
88 p.
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval
Not necessary for this item
Recommended Citation
APA Citation
Elaasar, R. H.
(2025).Tailor-designed Oxalic Acid-Crosslinked Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Chitosan Biodegradable Films for Active Food Packaging Applications [Master's Thesis, the American University in Cairo]. AUC Knowledge Fountain.
https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/2388
MLA Citation
Elaasar, Reem Hazem Fathy Anwar. Tailor-designed Oxalic Acid-Crosslinked Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Chitosan Biodegradable Films for Active Food Packaging Applications. 2025. American University in Cairo, Master's Thesis. AUC Knowledge Fountain.
https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/2388