Herein, we introduce a boron nitride nanosheet (BNNS)-reinforced cellulose nanofiber (CNF) film as a sustainable oxygen barrier film that can potentially be applied in food packaging. Most of commodity plastics are oxygen-permeable. CNF exhibits an ideal oxygen transmittance rate (OTR) of <1 cc/m2/day in highly controlled conditions. A CNF film typically fabricated by the air drying of a CNF aqueous solution reveals an OTR of 19.08 cc/m2/day. The addition of 0-5 wt% BNNS to the CNF dispersion before drying results in a composite film with highly improved OTR, 4.7 cc/m2/day, which is sufficient for meat and cheese packaging. BNNS as a 2D nanomaterial increases the pathway of oxygen gas and reduces the chances of pin-hole formation during film fabrication involving water drying. In addition, BNNS improves the mechanical properties of the CNF films (Young’s modulus and tensile strength) without significant elongation reductions, probably due to the good miscibility of CNF and BNNS in the aqueous solution. BNNS addition also produces negligible color change, which is important for film aesthetics. An in vitro cell experiment was performed to reveal the low cytotoxicity of the CNF/BNNS composite. This composite film has great potential as a sustainable high-performance food packaging material.
Sustainable Boron Nitride Nanosheet-Reinforced Cellulose Nanofiber Composite Film with Improved Mechanical Properties and Oxygen Barrier without the Cost of Color and Brittleness
