Preparation and evaluation of oxygen scavenging nanocomposite films incorporating cellulose nanocrystals and Pd nanoparticles in poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol)

Authors: CHERPINSKI, ADRIANE - Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC); Biswas, Atanu; LAGARON, JOSE - Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC); DUFRESNE, ALAIN - Grenoble Institute Of Technology; Kim, Sanghoon; Berhenke, Megan; ESPINOSA, EDUARDO - University Of Cordova (UCO), Spain; Cheng, Huai

Submitted to: Cellulose
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2019
Publication Date: 7/5/2019
Citation: Cherpinski, A., Biswas, A., Lagaron, J.M., Dufresne, A., Kim, S., Buttrum, M.A., Espinosa, E., Cheng, H.N. 2019. Preparation and evaluation of oxygen scavenging nanocomposite films incorporating cellulose nanocrystals and Pd nanoparticles in poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol). Cellulose. 26(12):7237-7251. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-019-02613-8.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-019-02613-8

Interpretive Summary: Many foods are very sensitive to oxygen, which is responsible for the deterioration of many products either directly or indirectly. In this work, by utilizing palladium and cellulose nanoparticles we produced a novel active packaging material that could scavenge oxygen effectively and thus preserve foods by eliminating oxygen. These nanocomposite films seem to have promising active packaging properties which could be potentially used by food packaging industries.

Technical Abstract: There is current interest in active packaging, where the packaging material exhibits desirable functions in addition to containment of product. One of these functions is to reduce the oxygen content in the package in order to minimize product oxidation and spoilage, and prolong product shelf-life. In this work, we have developed novel nanocomposites, comprising cellulose nanocrystals and Pd nanoparticles embedded in an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH). The nanocellulose is a critical component in the nanocomposite because it acts not only as reducing agent for PdCl2 but also as support for the dispersion of Pd nanoparticles on EVOH film and enhances the physical properties of the EVOH. Pd nanoparticles react with oxygen to serve as oxygen scavenger. The cellulose nanocrystals have also been optionally oxidized, and the increased presence of carboxyl groups favored a better distribution of the Pd nanoparticles, thereby enabling improved oxygen absorption. These features make the nanocomposites promising candidates as active packaging materials. Included in this work are the preparation and the characterization of these materials.