Abstract:
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanostructures, which are nanoparticles, nanorods and
nanotubes, were successfully synthesised by using the hydrothermal method. These
TiO2 nanostructures were incorporated into gellan gum (GG) film. Good film was
produced by using 1.00 g GG with a 5 mM CaCl2 cross-linker and 50% w/w glycerol
as a plasticiser dried at 50 °C for 24 h. GG incorporating TiO2 nanoparticles
(GG+TiO2-NPs), nanorods (GG+TiO2-NRs) and nanotubes (GG+TiO2-NTs) was
produced via the evaporative casting method. GG+TiO2-NTs film shows the best
mechanical properties, a high swelling ability and moderate water vapour
transmission rates attributed to the chemical interaction between GG and TiO2
nanotubes. GG+TiO2-NTs film also shows antibacterial properties with 10 ± 0.38
mm, 12 ± 0.06 mm, 11 ± 0.06 mm and 10 ± 0.12 mm inhibition zone was obtained
against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas
aeruginosa, which are as good as control samples (penicillin).
