Antibacterial nanocomposite films of poly(vinyl alcohol) modified with zinc oxide-doped multiwalled carbon nanotubes as food packaging

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is a synthetic and promising film-forming polymer that is usually used in packaging applications. In this study, PVA nanocomposite films with varying amounts of zinc oxide-doped multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-ZnO) were prepared. The tensile strength of the nanocomposite films was 116% higher than that of the PVA film. The thermal stability, water vapor transmission rate, hydrophobicity, and antibacterial activity of the nanocomposite films were better than those of pure PVA. Tests on water loss in vegetables at room temperature revealed that the vegetable wrapped in packaging films could keep more water for more than 4 days. Tests on the shelf life of chicken meat packed in films suggested that the growth of natural microorganisms in raw chicken kept in the preservation storage of the refrigerator could be inhibited for at least 36 h. The findings of this study indicated that nanocomposite MWCNTs-ZnO/PVA films with good transparency had great potential applications in food packaging.