Role of silk nanocrystal (SNC)-ZnO as an antibacterial nucleating nanohybrid for a patterned mimic poly(lactic acid)...

This new investigation deals with the synthesis of an organic-inorganic nanohybrid using SNC with magnificent flower bud-shaped ZnO, termed SNC-ZnO by precipitation method. The nanohybrid (with concentrations 1 wt%, 3 wt%, and 5 wt%) was in situ incorporated into the PLA matrix to prepare the electrospun solution. The functionalized PLA composite nanofibres produced by electrospinning with SNC-ZnO nanohybrid were systematically studied using different structural and morphological analyses to meet the challenging processing requirements. The FESEM analysis gives an average diameter of nanofibres 246 ± 10.2 nm where nanohybrid tends to adhere on the surface of the PLA nanofabric increasing hydrophobicity up to water contact angle 135.3 ± 0.25 °C with 5 wt% nanohybrid incorporation. The nanofabric has significant antibacterial activity against E.Coli and S.Aureus bacteria. Further, an extensive study has been made on thermally stipulated processes using DSC on non-isothermal crystallization kinetics using different models: Avrami, Ozawa, Mo, and Tobin. The results revealed sites for heterogeneous nucleation and improvement in crystallinity, t_1/2, and nucleation effects due to the incorporation of crystalline nanohybrid in PLA nanofibres. Further, the Avrami plot has confirmed both primary and secondary crystallization processes thereby considering its potential to utilize functionalized PLA nanofabric for applications in protective textile.