Polylactic acid/quercetin composite films with enhanced UV-shielding and antioxidant properties for packaging applications
- 1School of Textiles and Fashion, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai, 201620, PR China
- 2Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Clean Production of Textile Chemistry, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai 201620, PR China
Abstract
With the escalating severity of environmental issues and the surging demand for sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics, polylactic acid (PLA) has garnered extensive attention as a biodegradable polymer. However, its poor ultraviolet (UV) resistance restricts long-term applications in outdoor scenarios and food packaging-two critical fields requiring prolonged material stability. To address this inherent limitation, quercetin, a natural flavonoid renowned for its exceptional UV absorption and antioxidant properties, was successfully incorporated into PLA via a solution-casting technique for the fabrication of functional UV-shielding films. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations elucidated that quercetin exhibits intense π→π*and n→π* electronic transitions within the UV spectral region (200-400 nm), thereby confirming its intrinsic superior UV-absorbing capacity. PLA/quercetin composite films exhibited a homogeneous surface morphology and high optical transparency in the visible range, with the transmittance at 280 nm reduced to as low as 1.18%. Moreover, the films retained their robust UV-shielding efficiency even after 7 h of continuous UV irradiation, demonstrating excellent photostability critical for long-term service. Mechanical analysis showed that moderate quercetin incorporation improved the tensile strength of PLA by mitigating inherent brittleness, while antioxidant assays demonstrated over 90% free-radical scavenging efficiency. These findings validate the synergistic effect of quercetin in simultaneously improving UV protection and oxidative stability of PLA—two pivotal performance metrics for food packaging materials. Collectively, this work presents a green and efficient strategy to improve the UV resistance of biodegradable polymers, thereby advancing their practical utility in sustainable food packaging for mitigating photooxidative degradation of packaged products during storage and transportation.
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BibTeX
@article{niu2026polylactic,
title = {{Polylactic acid/quercetin composite films with enhanced UV-shielding and antioxidant properties for packaging applications}},
author = {Wenhui Niu and Liujun Pei and Xiaohua Feng and J J Wang},
journal = {Industrial Crops and Products},
year = {2026},
month = may,
doi = {10.1016/j.indcrop.2026.123567},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2026.123567},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Polylactic acid/quercetin composite films with enhanced UV-shielding and antioxidant properties for packaging applications
AU - Wenhui Niu
AU - Liujun Pei
AU - Xiaohua Feng
AU - J J Wang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/05/28
JO - Industrial Crops and Products
DO - 10.1016/j.indcrop.2026.123567
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2026.123567
AB - With the escalating severity of environmental issues and the surging demand for sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics, polylactic acid (PLA) has garnered extensive attention as a biodegradable polymer. However, its poor ultraviolet (UV) resistance restricts long-term applications in outdoor scenarios and food packaging-two critical fields requiring prolonged material stability. To address this inherent limitation, quercetin, a natural flavonoid renowned for its exceptional UV absorption and antioxidant properties, was successfully incorporated into PLA via a solution-casting technique for the fabrication of functional UV-shielding films. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations elucidated that quercetin exhibits intense π→π*and n→π* electronic transitions within the UV spectral region (200-400 nm), thereby confirming its intrinsic superior UV-absorbing capacity. PLA/quercetin composite films exhibited a homogeneous surface morphology and high optical transparency in the visible range, with the transmittance at 280 nm reduced to as low as 1.18%. Moreover, the films retained their robust UV-shielding efficiency even after 7 h of continuous UV irradiation, demonstrating excellent photostability critical for long-term service. Mechanical analysis showed that moderate quercetin incorporation improved the tensile strength of PLA by mitigating inherent brittleness, while antioxidant assays demonstrated over 90% free-radical scavenging efficiency. These findings validate the synergistic effect of quercetin in simultaneously improving UV protection and oxidative stability of PLA—two pivotal performance metrics for food packaging materials. Collectively, this work presents a green and efficient strategy to improve the UV resistance of biodegradable polymers, thereby advancing their practical utility in sustainable food packaging for mitigating photooxidative degradation of packaged products during storage and transportation.
SN - 0926-6690
SN - 1872-633X
ER -