Enhancement of polycaprolactone nanofiber film performance by hydrogen bonding interactions with chitosan for food packaging

Yue Zhao; Rea Mae Templonuevo; Jiyeon Chun

doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.139437

Enhancement of polycaprolactone nanofiber film performance by hydrogen bonding interactions with chitosan for food packaging

Int J Biol Macromol. 2025 Jan 3:139437. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.139437. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Yue Zhao¹, Rea Mae Templonuevo², Jiyeon Chun³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Food Science and Technology, Sunchon National University, Suncheon, Jeonnam 57922, Republic of Korea.
² Department of Food Science and Technology, Sunchon National University, Suncheon, Jeonnam 57922, Republic of Korea; College of Fisheries, Central Luzon State University, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija 3120, Philippines.
³ Department of Food Science and Technology, Sunchon National University, Suncheon, Jeonnam 57922, Republic of Korea; Bio-Healthcare Research and Analysis Center, Sunchon National University, Suncheon, Jeonnam 57922, Republic of Korea; Glocal University Project Team, Sunchon National University, 255 Jungangno, Suncheon 57922, Jeonnam, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: cjyfall@sunchon.ac.kr.

PMID: 39756740
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.139437

Abstract

Hybrid environmentally friendly nanocomposite films were synthesized via electrospinning using polycaprolactone (PCL) and chitosan (CH). The resulting nanofiber films displayed a homogeneous fibrous microstructure with average diameters between 250-270 nm. Molecular simulation experiments revealed a progressive increase in hydrogen bonding over time. The impact of different CH concentrations on surface roughness was investigated, with results showing that PCL/CH (2 %) reduced surface roughness by 240 % compared to pure PCL film. Furthermore, the addition of CH imparted stable hydrophobic properties to the nanofiber film, with a water contact angle remaining steady at 107° after 20 s. L929 cell experiments confirmed that the nanofiber film exhibits good biocompatibility. Practical application studies using blueberries demonstrated that the PCL/CH (2 %) film effectively preserved freshness at room temperature for up to 5 days. These findings indicate that PCL/CH (2 %) films hold significant potential for use in fruit packaging applications.

Keywords: Antibacterial; Chitosan; Hydrogen-bonding interaction; Nanofiber film; Polycaprolactone.