Fabrication of Multifunctional Nano Gelatin/Zinc Oxide Composite Fibers

Abstract

According to health studies, reinforcing gelatin is necessary in order to obtain the multifunctional material. In this study, nano zinc oxide (ZnO; at concentrations of 0.5%, 1% and 1.5%) was doped with gelatin and the solution was electrospun under specific conditions to obtain multifunctional gelatin/ZnO nanofibers. The morphology of the nanofibers was studied by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX) analysis indicated the presence of nano Zn on the surface of gelatin fibers. On the contrary, elemental mapping analysis proved the distribution of nano material along the nano gelatin fibers. The results show that the produced nano gelatin/ZnO composite increases the ultraviolet (UV) blocking of fabric significantly. It is also observed that electrospun gelatin/ZnO nanofibers have excellent bactericidal property against both Bacillus cereus (Gram-positive) and Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) bacteria.

Keywords

• gelatin
• zinc oxide
• electrospinning
• bactericide
• uv blocking