Effect of silver nanoparticles' generation routes on the morphology, oxygen, and water transport properties of starch nanocomposite films
Résumé
A strategy involving the preparation of silver nanoparticles in a biodegradable polymer stemming from an ex situ or an in situ method using a green chemistry process is reported. The influence of the reducing agent concentration and the silver nanoparticles' generation route were investigated on the structure, the morphology, and the properties of the nanocomposite films. Two distinct silver nanoparticle populations in size were highlighted from the ex situ route (diameter around 5 nm for the first one and from 20 to 50 nm for the second one), whereas one population was highlighted from the in situ route (around 10 nm). No modification on the crystalline structure of the starch matrix was observed in presence of silver. Crystalline silver nanoparticles were obtained only from the in situ generation route. The decrease of the water sorption and the improvement of water and oxygen barrier properties were found to be not dependent on the reducing agent concentration but mainly on the crystalline structure of the silver nanoparticles associated to the presence of strong interface between the silver nanoparticles and the starch polymer matrix.