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Characterization of a Graphene Oxide-Reinforced Whey Hydrogel as an Eco-Friendly Absorbent for Food Packaging

This study presents a structural analysis of a whey and gelatin-based hydrogel reinforced with graphene oxide (GO) by ultraviolet and visible (UV-VIS) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results revealed barrier properties in the UV range f...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Purcea Lopes, Pompilia Mioara, Moldovan, Dumitrita, Fechete, Radu, Mare, Liviu, Barbu-Tudoran, Lucian, Sechel, Niculina, Popescu, Violeta
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: MDPI 2023
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10138084/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37102911
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/gels9040298
Descripción
Sumario:This study presents a structural analysis of a whey and gelatin-based hydrogel reinforced with graphene oxide (GO) by ultraviolet and visible (UV-VIS) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results revealed barrier properties in the UV range for the reference sample (containing no graphene oxide) and the samples with minimal GO content of [Formula: see text] % and [Formula: see text] %, respectively, in the UV-VIS and near-IR range; for the samples with higher GO content, this was [Formula: see text] % and [Formula: see text] % as an effect of the introduction of GO into the hydrogel composite. The changes in the position of diffraction angles 2θ from the X-ray diffraction patterns of GO-reinforced hydrogels indicated a decrease in the distances between the turns of the protein helix structure due to the GO cross-linking effect. Transmission electron spectroscopy (TEM) was used for GO, whilst scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used for the composite characterization. A novel technique for investigating the swelling rate was presented by performing electrical conductivity measurements, the results of which led to the identification of a potential hydrogel with sensor properties.