Enhanced Functional Properties of Biodegradable Polyvinyl Alcohol/Carboxymethyl Cellulose (PVA/CMC) Composite Films Reinforced with l-alanine Surface Modified CuO Nanorods

Herein, we described novel biogenic preparation of the CuO nanorods and its surface modification with l -alanine amino acid accelerated by microwave irradiation. The effect of surface functionalized CuO nanorods on the physico-mechanical properties of polyvinyl alcohol/carboxymethyl cellulose films were investigated through various characterization techniques. The tensile strength was improved from 28.58 ± 0.73 to 43.40 ± 0.93 MPa, UV shielding ability and barrier to the water vapors were highly enhanced when PVA/CMC matrices filled with 8 wt% of CuO- l -alanine. In addition, the prepared films exhibited acceptable overall migration limit and readily undergoes soil burial degradation. Nevertheless, CuO- l -alanine incorporated films showed potent antioxidant activity against DPPH radicals and had high antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli , and antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis . Furthermore, the nanocomposite films showed negligible cytotoxic effect on HEK293 and Caco-2 cell lines. In these contexts, the developed nanocomposite films can be implementing as an active food packaging material. Graphical Abstract