Effect of layered graphene oxide on the structure and properties of bovine serum albumin grafted polyacrylonitrile hybrid bionanocomposites

Herein, one‐pot synthetic protocol is utilized to synthesize graphene oxide (GO) reinforced bovine serum albumin grafted polyacrylonitrile (BSA‐g‐PAN) microspheres through emulsifier‐free in situ emulsion polymerization route by using potassium persulfate (KPS) as initiator. The surface morphologies of pure PAN, BSA‐g‐PAN hybrid polymer, and BSA‐g‐PAN/GO hybrid bionanocomposites are observed through scanning electron microscope. Pure PAN shows the self‐assembled cauliflower like morphology which is found to be structurally interfered due to grafting between BSA and PAN. Moreover, the growth of cauliflower like morphology is influenced by the incorporation of GO platelets within BSA‐g‐PAN matrix, due to strong interfacial adhesion between GO and PAN. Transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and atomic force microscopy techniques are used to evaluate structural distributions of layered GOs within BSA‐g‐PAN chains. Due to filling up of microvoids of BSA‐g‐PAN structure by the GO layers, the oxygen permeability of the hybrid bionanocomposite is reduced by 22 folds with incorporation of only 3 wt% of GO. Moreover, the BSA‐g‐PAN/GO hybrid bionanocomposite shows significant antibacterial activities against bacteria such as S. aureus and E. coli. Primarily, thermal, gas barrier, biodegradability, antimicrobial, and mechanical properties of the synthesized hybrid bionanocomposites are studied to explore the hybrid bionanocomposite in packaging applications. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:3989–4003, 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers