Enhanced physicochemical and antifungal properties of starch bionanocomposites reinforced with nanocellulose and functionalized with AgNPs derived from cocoa bean shell.

This study explored the synergistic combination of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), eucalyptus-derived nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) and cassava starch to develop bionanocomposites with advanced properties suitable for sustainable and antifungal packaging applications. The influence of AgNPs synthesized through a green method using cocoa bean shell combined with varying concentrations of NFC were investigated. Morphological (scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy), optical (L*, C*, °hue, and opacity), chemical (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), mechanical (puncture force, tensile strength, and Young's modulus), rheological (flow curve and frequency sweeps, strain, and stress), barrier, and hydrophilicity properties (water vapor permeability, solubility, wettability, and contact angle), as well as the antifungal effect against pathogens (Botrytis cinerea, Penicillium expansum, Colletotrichum musae, and Fusarium semitectum), were analyzed.