Strong nanocomposite reinforcement effects in poly(vinyl alcohol) with melanin nanoparticles

Poly(vinyl alcohol)/melanin nanocomposites with improved tensile strength, Young's modulus and heat distortion temperature (HDT) were prepared by using simple aqueous solution mixing. When incorporated into PVA with low content (0.5–2 wt%), melanin nanoparticles dramatically enhanced the mechanical properties of PVA. With addition of 2 wt% melanin, the nanocomposites exhibited a tensile strength (σ) of 155 MPa and a Young's modulus (E) of 2.95 GPa, which were much higher than these of neat PVA. HDT was enhanced from 56.5 °C to 100 °C. TEM indicated that melanin nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed in PVA without aggregation. The strong hydrogen bonding between the –OH (or –NH–) of melanin and –OH of PVA confirmed by FTIR, which played a key factor to prevent the aggregation of nanoparticles in PVA matrix and made a contribution to the high performance of PVA.