Bioactive PVA/Chitosan nanocellulose–silver nanoparticle composite film for antibacterial and food packaging

The development of sustainable and multifunctional food packaging materials remains challenging due to the poor mechanical strength, limited antibacterial activity, and insufficient barrier properties of conventional biodegradable films. Herein, this work developed an integrated biomass-derived nanocellulose (CNC) and plant-mediated silver nanoparticles (AgNP) strategy using Chrysanthemum morifolium extract into a polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan (PVA/CS) matrix. Unlike conventional AgNP-containing films, this strategy simultaneously utilizes agricultural waste-derived nanocellulose as a reinforcing framework and plant-extract-mediated AgNPs as multifunctional antibacterial and antioxidant components, achieving synergistic enhancement of film performance. The prepared PVA-CS-CNC@AgNPs-CME composite film was systematically characterized in terms of structural interactions, morphology, mechanical properties, thermal stability, barrier performance, antibacterial activity, antioxidant capability, and food preservation applications. The incorporation of CNC and AgNPs significantly improved the mechanical strength, hydrophobicity, UV-shielding ability, and water vapor barrier properties of the film. Moreover, the composite film exhibited strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli , Staphylococcus aureus , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and Enterococcus faecalis , with inhibition zone diameters of 21.3, 21.2, 21.0, and 22.3 mm, respectively. Practical simulation experiments demonstrated that the film effectively delayed apple browning, delayed visible milk spoilage, and maintained the freshness of bananas and pork. Furthermore, the film showed good biocompatibility and biodegradability, indicating its potential for sustainable food packaging applications. This work provides a novel waste-to-value strategy for constructing multifunctional biodegradable packaging materials by combining biomass-derived nanocellulose and green nanotechnology.