title: Development of an iron chelating polyethylene film for active packaging applications.
abstract: Metal-promoted oxidation reactions are a major cause of food quality deterioration. Active packaging offers novel approaches to controlling such oxidation for the purpose of extending shelf life. Herein, we report modification of the surface of polyethylene (PE) films to possess metal chelating activity. Metal chelating carboxylic acids were introduced to the film surface using cross-linking agents [polyethylenimine (PEI) or ethylenediamine (ED)] to increase the number of available carboxylic acids. ATR-FTIR, contact angle, dye assay, and iron chelating assay were used to characterize changes in surface chemistry after each functionalization step. The chelator poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) was attached to the surface at a density of 9.12 ± 0.71 nmol carboxyl groups/cm², and exhibited an iron chelating activity. The results indicate that PAA-modified PE films might have a higher affinity to Fe³⁺ than Fe²⁺ with the optimum binding pH at 5.0. Such inexpensive active packaging materials are promising in food industry for the preservation of liquid and semiliquid food products and have application in heavy metal chelation therapy for biomedical materials as well.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts , 102 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Eric A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Decker
authors.forename: Julie M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Goddard
mesh_terms: D005029:Ethylenediamines / Q000737:chemistry; D018857:Food Packaging; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D011094:Polyethyleneimine / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D005029:Ethylenediamines; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents; D011094:Polyethyleneimine