Sustainable Cross-Linked PVA/Hard Carbon Composite Films From Rice Husk With Enhanced Antioxidant and Antibacterial Performance
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE, cilt.2026, sa.1, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 2026 Sayı: 1
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1155/ijps/7605959
- Dergi Adı: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Compendex, INSPEC, Directory of Open Access Journals
- Trakya Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Sustainable utilization of agricultural waste in advanced polymeric materials offers an effective pathway toward environmentally responsible functional systems. In this study, cross-linked poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) composite films reinforced with nitric acid-treated hard carbon (HNO3-HC) derived from rice husk were successfully fabricated and systematically investigated. Hard carbon was obtained via high-temperature pyrolysis and subsequently functionalized using nitric acid to improve interfacial compatibility and bioactivity. Composite films containing 1.0, 1.5, and 2.5-wt% HNO3-HC were prepared by solution casting followed by vapor-phase glutaraldehyde cross-linking. SEM and EDX analyses confirmed homogeneous dispersion of HNO3-HC within the PVA matrix, whereas FT-IR results indicated enhanced hydrogen bonding interactions. Incorporation of HNO3-HC improved thermal stability, increasing the glass transition temperature from 74.9 degrees C (neat PVA) to 84.3 degrees C for the 2.5-wt% composite. Water contact angle values decreased from 43.9 degrees to 34.9 degrees, indicating enhanced surface hydrophilicity. Mechanical testing revealed a transition from stiffness-dominated to ductility-dominated behavior with increasing filler content, with the highest work at break (1426 N & centerdot;mm) observed for PVA-HC-2.5. Antioxidant activity increased with filler loading, reaching 13.7% (DPPH) and 27.1% (ABTS) inhibition at 60 min for the PVA-HC-2.5 sample. Antibacterial assays demonstrated bacterial reduction of up to 72% against Staphylococcus aureus and 65% against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, also observed for PVA-HC-2.5. In addition, the lowest water contact angle (34.9 degrees) was recorded for the same formulation. These findings establish rice husk-derived HNO3-HC as a promising multifunctional biofiller for PVA, enabling the fabrication of sustainable composite films with consistent and measurable enhancements in antioxidant and antibacterial performance relative to pristine PVA.