Preparation of Conductive Antibacterial Film of Organoclay Origin

Abstract

This study presents the synthesis and characterization of novel conductive antibacterial thin films derived from Kashikoko and Kaffin-Koro biopolymers,  modified with phenylamine and silver nitrate. The average thickness of the films was  measured to be 0.33 mm for Kashikoko/PA, 0.40 mm for Kashikoko/CMC/EG,  and 0.30 mm for KaffinKoro/PA, demonstrating their structural integrity. Electrical  conductivity measurements revealed that the Kashikoko/PA/0.3 sample exhibited  the highest conductivity at 1818 S/cm, while the Kashikoko/PA/1.0 sample recorded  a lower conductivity of 950 S/cm. Antimicrobial efficacy was assessed by measuring  the inhibition zones against E. coli, Salmonella, and S. aureus. The results showed  that the Kashikoko/CMC/EG/PA/1g/AgNO₃ exhibited the largest inhibition zone of  34 mm against E. coli. At the same time, the KaffinKoro/CMC/EG/PA/0.2/AgNO₃  displayed a zone of inhibition ranging from 19-36 mm across all tested pathogens,  with the highest activity against S. aureus (36 mm). These findings indicate that the  developed nanocomposite films possess significant electrical conductivity and  antimicrobial properties, making them suitable forapplications in active food packaging and biomedical fields.