Influence of TiO2/Ag particles on the properties of chitosan film

Melda Taspika, Resetiana Dwi Desiati, Melbi Mahardika, Eni Sugiarti and Hairul Abral

Abstract

The present work reports the influence of TiO₂/Ag particles on the properties of chitosan film. Pure chitosan film and TiO₂/Ag-chitosan composite film were prepared by solution casting method with wet phase separation from the glass substrate. Potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution was used to produce flexible free-standing films. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) image shows that morphology structure of TiO₂/Ag-chitosan composite film is rough and heterogeneous. UV–vis spectra show the red-shifted absorption band of TiO₂/Ag-chitosan film due to particle agglomeration in the chitosan polymer. The addition of TiO₂/Ag decreases the band-gap energy of chitosan from 5.2 to 4.7 eV because TiO₂/Ag particles altered chitosan energy states that is appropriate to x-ray diffraction (XRD) results. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra confirm only physical interaction between TiO₂/Ag and chitosan, without any chemical reaction happening. The addition of TiO₂/Ag particles to the chitosan reduced the plasticising or elasticity of chitosan film because of the agglomeration