Polylactic Acid Antimicrobial Composite Films: Preparation and Antibacterial Efficacy

Abstract

This study aims to produce antimicrobial biodegradable composite films. Polylactic acid (PLA) and poly[2-(tert-butylaminoethyl)methacrylate] (TBMA) are combined by using casting molding. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) are used to evaluate the physical properties of the PLA/TBMA composite films. The antimicrobial tests are then used to assess the antibacterial efficacy of PLA/TBMA composite films against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). The FT-IR results indicate that the incorporation of TBMA does not influence the chemical structure of the composite films as the composites are a product of physical blending. The DSC results indicate that the incorporation of TBMA causes the crystallization temperature of PLA to increase. Finally, the composite films have proven to be bacteriostatic against S. aureus, and antibacterial against E. coli.