Enhanced antimicrobial and physical properties of poly (butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate)/zinc oxide/reduced graphene oxide ternary nanocomposite films

Abstract The development of biodegradable packaging materials is important to mitigate the negative environmental impact of plastic waste. This study focuses on enhancing antimicrobial and physical properties of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) biodegradable film by incorporated with zinc oxide (ZnO)/reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The resulting nanocomposite films were characterized to evaluate its functional properties and antibacterial activity. The ZnO/rGO nanocomposite can improved the mechanical and thermal properties of the PBAT nanocomposite films. In addition, the migration of Zn ions from the PBAT/ZnO/rGO nanocomposite films were considered safe under the criteria established by European plastic regulation (EU) standards. The PBAT/ZnO/rGO nanocomposite films also showed excellent antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (81.32%) and Staphylococcus aureus (82.44%). The results of this study suggest that PBAT/ZnO/rGO nanocomposite films is effective as a biodegradable active material for food packaging applications.