Characterization of nanocellulose and activated carbon nanocomposite films' biosensing properties for smart packaging

The goal of this research is to develop a functional nanocellulose and activated carbon (NAC) film and characterize its biosensing properties for smart packaging applications. The NAC film was prepared from activated carbon powder and nanocellulose gel using the casting method. The nanocellulose contents in the films were varied from 15% to 50% (w/w). Physicochemical properties of the produced films such as electrical conductivity, water absorption capacity, solubility in water and mechanical properties were measured. The electrical conductivity of the NAC film decreased when nanocellulose content increased. The tensile strength (TS), strain and Young's modulus of films increased significantly from 0.03 to 4.78 MPa, 0.13 to 1.94% and 97.64 to 247.3 MPa, respectively, when the nanocellulose contents increased. Thermal stability was also determined using thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results showed that thermal decomposition was occurred in a temperature range of 300-400 °C.