Abstract: A method for preparation of zein/nano-TiO2 composite films was presented using hydrolysis of titanium isopropoxide (TTIP) by the sol-gel method to prepare Nano-TiO2 particles and subsequent casting. Zein/nano-TiO2 composite films with different TiO2 contents were tested for their properties. The largest tensile strength of 35.2 MPa, an elongation rate at break of 3.0% and a water vapor permeability of 169.9 g/(m2 ·24 h) were found at the TiO2 content of 14%. Photocatalytic experiments indicated that the composite film had strong antibiotic activity. Observations under scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM) revealed that TiO2 particles were evenly distributed in the composite film.

Key words: sol-gel method, zein, nano-TiO2, composite film