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Polyethylene Glycol Grafted Polyethylene: A Versatile Platform for Nonmigratory Active Packaging Applications
Author(s) -
Barish Jeffrey A.,
Goddard Julie M.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of food science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1750-3841
pISSN - 0022-1147
DOI - 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2011.02396.x
Subject(s) - low density polyethylene , polyethylene glycol , peg ratio , polymer , polyethylene , polymer chemistry , active packaging , surface modification , chemical engineering , materials science , chemistry , covalent bond , attenuated total reflection , organic chemistry , food packaging , infrared spectroscopy , food science , finance , engineering , economics
Nonmigratory active packaging, in which bioactive components are tethered to the package, offers the potential to reduce the need for additives in food products while maintaining safety and quality. A challenge in developing nonmigratory active packaging materials is the loss of biomolecular activity that can occur when biomolecules are immobilized. In this work, we describe a method in which a biocompatible polymer (polyethylene glycol, PEG) is grafted from the surface of ozone‐treated low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) resulting in a surface functionalized polyethylene to which a range of amine‐terminated bioactive molecules can be immobilized. Free radical graft polymerization is used to graft PEG onto the LDPE surface, followed by immobilization of ethylenediamine onto the PEG tether. Ethylenediamine was used to demonstrate that amine‐terminated molecules could be covalently attached to the PEG‐grafted film. Changes in surface chemistry and topography were measured by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, contact angle, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. We demonstrate the ability to graft PEG onto the surface of polymer packaging films by free radical graft polymerization, and to covalently link an amine‐terminated molecule to the PEG tether, demonstrating that amine‐terminated bioactive compounds (such as peptides, enzymes, and some antimicrobials) can be immobilized onto PEG‐grafted LDPE in the development of nonmigratory active packaging. Practical Application: Nonmigratory active packaging offers the potential for improving food safety and quality while minimizing the migration of the active agent into food. In this paper, we describe a technique to modify polyethylene packaging films such that active agents can be covalently immobilized by a biocompatible tether. Such a technique can be adapted to a number of applications such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, or immobilized enzyme active packaging.