No abstract

No abstract

Electrospraying technique was used for the production of pectin films obtaining transparent and flexible products with thicknesses of 23.4 ± 3.04 µm and requiring a lower pectin solution volume (2.67 × 10−3 mL) than casting (5.97 × 10−3 mL) to produce films of the same area and thickness; the physical, structural, and thermal characteristics of these films were evaluated. Electrosprayed films were slightly more transparent, and with smoother surface than those obtained by casting, but with more and smaller internal pores, resulting in different film densities (0.7 g/cm3 electrospraying, 1.7 g/cm3 casting), that could be linked to the larger water vapor permeability value obtained. These changes could be related to a physical phenomenon, seeing as the percentage of crystallinity and melting temperature remained invariable for both films. These results show that the electrospraying technique has potential in areas such as wound dressings, tissue engineering, and the release of drugs. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43779.

The preparation by electrospraying of a bilayer film formed by a pectin layer (hydrophilic, polar) and a zein layer (hydrophobic, nonpolar), is a difficult task that has not yet been reported. Herein, the feasibility of producing films by electrostatic atomization was studied, as well as the changes in the superficial and physicochemical characteristics of the bilayer film. Results showed that it is possible to produce a flexible and yellow bilayer film (101.07 ± 8.11 μm) with a continuous surface structure and a well‐defined interface, without chemical interactions between both layers nor antimicrobial activity. This study is one of the first to show that the electrospraying technique can be used to generate biodegradable bilayer films using hydrophilic/hydrophobic biopolymer solutions.