Antibacterial poly(butylene succinate-co-terephthalate)/titanium dioxide/copper oxide nanocomposites films for food packaging applications

Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 )/copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by co-precipitation method. The photocatalytic activities of TiO 2 were enhanced by the incorporation of CuO. The poly(butylene succinate-co-terephthalate) (PBST)-based nanocomposite (PTC) films were prepared via solvent casting method. Mechanical properties , UV-Vis light barrier, water vapor permeability ( WVP ), antibacterial properties, and preservation properties of composite films were evaluated. When the content of TiO 2 /CuO NPs was 3 %, the best overall properties of the film were obtained. The tensile strength and elongation at break reached maximum values of 35.6 ± 0.4 MPa and 590.7 ± 5.3 %, respectively. Meanwhile, the WVP values and UV-Vis transmittance of PTC-3 film decreased. The inhibition rates were close to 90 % against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli . Moreover, the PTC-3 film could extend the shelf life of cherry tomato after conducting preservation experiments for 18 days. Prepared PTC films had potential for food packaging.