Preparation of functional chitosan-based nanocomposite films containing ZnS nanoparticles

In this study, nanocomposite films were synthesized by chitosan (CH), PVA, ZnS, sulfosuccinic acid, and plasticizers. The nanocomposite films were cross-linked by the heat curing process. ZnS was synthesized by the reaction of Zn(CH₃COO)₂ and Na₂S2O₃·5H₂O in aqueous solution via a template-free hydrothermal process. The prepared ZnS and CH/PVA nanocomposite films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform IR spectroscopy, and scanning electronic microscopy. The results of this study confirmed the presence of specific peaks of ZnS in the prepared nanocomposite films, and the intensity of these peaks increased with increasing ZnS contents. Tensile strength, elongation at break, water barrier properties, and thermal properties of the prepared nanocomposite films were also investigated, indicating that the addition of ZnS nanoparticles improved the physical and thermal properties. In addition, the photocatalytic degradability of the prepared films containing ZnS nanoparticles was evaluated using 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and methyl orange.