Trends on barrier characteristics improvement of emerging biopolymeric composite films using nanoparticles - A review

Background Bio-based films have wide applications in various areas, including medical, packaging, biosensor design, and environmental remediation. Unfortunately, their associated features restricted the application windows for these bio-based films. Barrier properties, such as H2O permeability, O2 permeability, and UV-barrier properties, are among the typical qualities important in designing packaging films because they safeguard food safety and extend shelf life. Methods Enhancing the barrier qualities has been imperative in recent years owing to its significant impact on food preservation and the valorization of natural biopolymers. The most innovative method is adding metal and metal oxide nanoparticles to the biopolymer with carefully regulated loads and parameters. This review aims to examine the barrier performance as well as their enhancement methods using metal, metal-oxide, and the synergetic effects of nanoparticles. Significant findings The review concludes that incorporating metallic and metallic oxide NPs into films has improved their barrier quality. The current and future materials in the property improvement field include metallic and metallic oxide nanoparticles, such as Ag, ZnO, GO, and TiO2, as well as their binary effects. Improvements to the barrier characteristics of bio-based films address the environmental and socioeconomic problems brought on by using petro-based films.