Fabrication of magnetic nanoparticle-enhanced Bi-layer films: Fe₃O₄-loaded electrospun PVA/Gelatin nanofibers on a balangu seed mucilage-gelatin base

This study presents an innovative bilayer film made of a balangu seed mucilage-gelatin (Ge) base layer and an electrospun polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-gelatin nanofiber layer containing Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. The electrospun layer significantly improved mechanical strength, hydrophobicity, and barrier properties, including water vapor and oxygen permeability. Meanwhile, Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles provided the film with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Structural analyses, such as FTIR and XRD, confirmed robust intermolecular interactions and enhanced thermal stability. Adjusting the PVA-to-gelatin ratio in the electrospun layer affected fiber morphology but had little impact on mechanical properties, highlighting the robustness of the bilayer design. The opacity of films with the highest PVA content was 236 % of the control film. Adding the electrospun layer and increasing the PVA content also enhanced the hydrophobicity of the film surface and reduced the moisture content, water solubility, and swelling ratio by 37.4 %, 28.5 %, and 35 %, respectively. This led to a decrease in water vapor permeability and oxygen permeability by 61.8 % and 31.5 %, respectively. Biodegradability tests affirmed the film’s environmental compatibility. These advancements establish the developed films as promising options for sustainable biomedical and food packaging applications, merging multifunctionality with eco-friendliness.