Adopting Intrinsic Hydrophilic Thermoplastic Starch Composites to Fabricate Antifogging Sustainable Films with High Antibiosis and Transparency

Abstract

Fogging on transparent surfaces such as goggles causes a series of hazards to users. To fabricate antifogging and low-haze transparent renewable polymer materials, intrinsic hydrophilicity with high water adsorption capability of thermoplastic starch (TPS) had been adopted. Strikingly, when benzoic acid (BA) was blended with thermoplastic starch (TPS-BA), the haze of TPS-BA was only 7.8% when it suffered the cold and warm method of antifogging measurement with 87% transmittance. Simultaneously, TPS-BA achieved an 18 mm inhibition zone for Staphylococcus aureus. To reveal the antifogging mechanism of TPS-BA films, the surficial and interior structure features were evaluated by three-dimensional optical scanner, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle testing, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature-dependent Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and so on. The incorporation of BA resulted in the roughness (R q), water contact angle (WCA), and crystallinity of the TPS-BA film decreasing from 6.5 to 0.68 μm, 65.1 to 39.9°, and 13.6 to 6.3%, respectively. The amorphous matrix and smooth surface reduced the scattered light, allowing the TPS-BA film to achieve low haze performance and high transmittance. Importantly, the diversified and weakened hydrogen bonds formed among starch, BA, and glycerol could inhibit the formation of starch crystalline regions and allowed hydroxyl groups to quickly bond with water. Thus, when TPS-BA is placed in a high-humidity surrounding, an “expressway” is constructed for water molecules diffusing into the TPS-BA matrix. This novel low-haze, antifogging, sustainable, and facilely fabricated TPS with antibacterial properties is a promising candidate in disposable medical goggles to fight against COVID-19.

Enhancing the Mechanical Properties of Corn Starch Films for Sustainable Food Packaging by Optimizing Enzymatic Hydrolysis

“…This increased mobility allows light to pass through the film with less scattering, resulting in a more transparent film. In addition, the hydrolysis process also reduces the molecular weight of the starch, which also contributes to increased transparency due to the reduced intermolecular interactions and the increased mobility of the starch molecules [67].…”

Recent advances in prevailing antifogging surfaces: structures, materials, durability, and beyond

“…The bottomup method mainly includes sol-gel (solution) coating, 83,84 LBL assembly, [85][86][87] chemical vapor deposition, [88][89][90][91] physical vapor deposition, and redox reaction, 92 which can be used to prepare antifogging coatings with patterned structures or rough surfaces on different substrate materials. In addition, there are some unconventional methods, such as casting, 36,93 sparking, 94 hot pressing, 95,96 and blow molding, 97 used to directly fabricate the antifogging surface.…”

Photothermal Solid Slippery Surfaces with Rapid Self‐Healing, Improved Anti/De‐Icing and Excellent Stability

“…[7][8][9] Therefore, it is of great necessity and precedence to develop a new anti-icing/deicing interface material with low energy consumption, high efficiency, and low cost. [10][11][12][13] As a widely distributed, low-cost, and environmentally friendly energy source, solar power is an ideal source of energy for anti/de-icing processes. [14,15] In recent research, there has been an increasing interest in using photothermal conversion materials (such as cermet, [16,17] metal oxides, [18] and carbon-based materials [19] ) to convert solar energy into thermal energy for the fulfilment of ice-free.…”