Application of Modified Cloisite Na + with L-Phenylalanine for the Preparation of New Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Organoclay Bionanocomposite Films

In this study, Cloisite Na⁺ was modified with protonated L-phenylalanine (Phe) amino acid as a bioactive molecule via ion-exchange reaction. This modified chiral nanoclay was employed to prepare poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/Cloisite Na⁺-Phe bionanocomposite (BNC) films with various compositions, using solution casting technique. These films were characterized, using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electronic microscopy and transmission electronic microscopy (TEM). The TEM and XRD structure study revealed a coexistence of exfoliated and intercalated Cloisite Na⁺-Phe in PVA matrix. The addition of Cloisite Na⁺-Phe into the PVA causes an increase in the thermal decomposition temperatures of the novel BNCs.