Sustainable synthesis and characterization of bioplastic films from whole banana peel: a comparative study on plasticizer-hydrolyzer ratios

Sustainable synthesis and characterization of bioplastic films from whole banana peel: a comparative study on plasticizer-hydrolyzer ratios | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Sustainable synthesis and characterization of bioplastic films from whole banana peel: a comparative study on plasticizer-hydrolyzer ratios Sawaira Sheikh, Faheem Amin, Yasir Iqbal This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5046233/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 29 Jul, 2025 Read the published version in Chemical Papers → Version 1 posted 6 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The present research focuses on the synthesis of bioplastic film from raw banana peels. This synthesis approach differs from conventional bioplastics by utilizing whole banana peel waste instead of extracted starch. In preparation for bioplastic film (BPF), acetic acid and glycerol were used as hydrolyzer and plasticizer respectively with different proportions such as 1:1 (BPF-I), 1:2 (BPF-II) and 3:8 (BPF-III). The synthesized bioplastic films were analyzed using multiple techniques to investigate their physicochemical properties and biodegradability. The surface morphology of bioplastic films was evaluated by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and RAMAN spectroscopy were utilized to investigate the chemical and intermolecular interaction of fabricated BPF. The contact angles were measured to be 42.20̊ ± 1.5̊, 58.20̊ ± 2.4̊ and 53.30̊ ± 1.7̊ for prepared BPF respectively. Stress-strain analysis was conducted to assess the mechanical stability of BPF. Mechanical analysis showed that BPF-II had the highest tensile strength (0.42 ± 0.02 MPa) and Young’s modulus (0.047 ± 0.02 MPa), demonstrating optimal plasticization. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to assess the thermal decomposition of the fabricated bioplastic films. The swelling and uptake capacity of developed BPF were analyzed in distilled water. BPF-I, BPF-II, and BPF-III exhibited 86 ± 3.75%, 91 ± 4.10%, and 96 ± 3.40% degradation in soil over 60 days, demonstrating their excellent degradability. Optimizing the plasticizer-to-hydrolyzer ratio enhanced mechanical strength, thermal stability and biodegradability, with BPF-II emerging as the most viable sample for sustainable packaging and environmental applications. Mechanical stability Swelling capacity Degradation Decomposition Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8 Introduction Plastic waste is one of the major concerns for the environment as well as marine life globally. Plastic has a large impact on the environment due to its huge production and use in daily life applications. Global plastic production reached approximately 400 million metric tons globally in 2021, and this number is expected to rise further due to increasing demand in packaging, construction and medical industries. By 2060, worldwide plastic consumption has been projected to rise to 1,231 million metric tons (de Sousa 2024). Conventional plastics pose significant environmental challenges due to their slow degradation and high chemical stability, leading to increased plastic waste and pollution. Research indicates that out of the 35 million metric tons of plastic waste generated globally each year, less than 7% is recycled, while the majority accumulates in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, causing severe ecological concerns (Chandra et al. 2024). The primary plastic degradation strategies include landfilling, incineration and chemical recycling alongside natural processes such as aerobic/anaerobic degradation and biomineralization. Biomineralization is an eco-friendly approach that breaks down plastic polymers into monomers (Nehra et al. 2022). However, synthetic plastics resist biological degradation, taking years to break down while releasing microplastics into the environment (Wojnowska-Baryła et al. 2022). These microplastics infiltrate the food chain, posing severe health risks such as cancer, immune disorders, hormonal imbalances, and developmental issues (Sabarwal et al. 2018) . Plastic disposal, particularly through burning, leads to the release of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other toxic pollutants due to non-degradable polymers such as polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polypropylene, causing environmental and health hazards (Geyer 2020). Growing global concerns over plastic pollution, particularly from disposable plastics, have driven extensive research efforts to develop sustainable alternatives, despite the numerous advantages plastics offer. Biodegradable plastics are being developed to replace or be an alternative to non-degradable plastics in numerous applications. Such as in the food packaging sector, biodegradable films derived from natural polymers offer an eco-friendly substitute for single-use plastics, reducing environmental waste while maintaining product safety and shelf life (Shah et al. 2024). Additionally, consumer products including biodegradable cutlery, shopping bags and disposable tableware present a promising shift towards sustainability by reducing plastic dependency without compromising functionality (George and George 2023). The versatility of bioplastics across industries highlights their potential for large-scale adoption, addressing both environmental and industrial challenges (Vetrivel et al. 2025). Natural polymers are being focused on to develop economical and degradable plastic in replacement of non-degradable polymer because of environmental issues (Teixeira-Costa and Andrade 2021). The bioplastics market is growing rapidly and is expected to increase from USD 10.7 billion in 2021 to USD 29.7 billion by 2026, with a compound annual growth rate of 22.7%. However, the high production cost of bioplastics, ranging from USD 2 to 6 per kilogram compared to USD 1 to 2 per kilogram for conventional plastics, remains a major barrier to widespread adoption (Nanda and Bharadvaja 2022). Additionally, inefficient manufacturing processes further limit their scalability. While technological advancements may help reduce costs, achieving large-scale production remains a significant challenge. The plants offer an alternative approach for the fabrication of plastic at a low cost and environmentally friendly materials (Akhil et al. 2023). Plant-based bioplastics are synthesized from renewable feedstocks like starch, cellulose, and vegetable oils through advanced processes such as enzymatic hydrolysis, microbial fermentation and polymerization (Kowser et al. 2025). A previous study reported the fabrication of bioplastic from chitosan reinforced with lignocellulose extracted from Prunus dulcis , Mangifera indica and Hibiscus rosasinensis plant leaves with simple and secured biodegradable properties (Chandra et al. 2024). Also, plant-extracted starch is one of the key materials in bioplastic fabrication because of its easy accessibility, lower cost, renewability, biodegradability and non-toxic properties (Wicaksono et al. 2022). Starch is composed of long chains formed by two types of glucose units such as branched polymerized amylopectin and straight chain amylose, creating its granular structure. Moreover, starch composed with plasticizer and subjected to heat and mechanical treatment can act like thermoplastic (Jayarathna et al. 2022). A study reported that corn and rice extracted starch-based bioplastic exhibited a tensile strength of 12.5 MPa and a biodegradability of 48.7% within 15 days. It concluded that starch has the potential for future bioplastic development (Marichelvam et al. 2019). In this study, bioplastic films were innovatively fabricated from banana peel waste, utilizing varying concentrations of acetic acid for hydrolysis and glycerol as a plasticizer, showcasing a sustainable approach to biodegradable material development. The hydrolyzer was used to convert the branched amylopectin into amylose. This would improve the film-forming ability of starch-based bioplastics (Zhang et al. 2019). Glycerol used as a plasticizer, is a triol that makes hydrogen bonds with the D-Glucose chains to form the backbone of the biopolymer. Glycerol is widely used as a plasticizer in natural polymer-based bioplastics due to its ability to reduce brittleness and improve film flexibility. Studies have demonstrated that glycerol increases intermolecular spacing in polymer matrices, thereby enhancing elongation and water absorption properties (Tarique et al. 2021). The cellulose present in the mixture acts as a filler in the matrix of starch and glycerol. The obtained bioplastic films were further characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for surface texture upon addition of different ratios of acetic acid and glycerol. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy were used to evaluate the chemical bonding in the presence of acetic acid and glycerol. Contact angle analysis was performed to quantify the wettability of the bioplastic films. Thermal decomposition and heat flow in films were also evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) respectively. Further water absorption and degradation studies were carried out. Materials and methods Materials used Sodium hydroxide (NaOH, 99.99%), glycerol (C₃H₈O₃, 99.0%), acetic acid (CH₃COOH, 99.99%) and distilled water were purchased from Sigma Aldrich (Korea). All the chemicals were used without any purification in the present work. Bananas were purchased from the local market of Islamabad, Pakistan. Processing of banana peel Peels were separated from the ripened bananas and cut into small patches. The banana’s peel patches were thoroughly washed with distilled water to clean from dust. Then, 500 g of bananas peel were boiled into 800 mL of distilled water for one hour on a hot plate. The pH of the solution was observed to be acidic, and it might be due to the presence of some organic acidic naturally present in banana peel. Furthermore, the mixture pH was neutralized by adding 1 M solution of NaOH dropwise and left to cool down for about 30 minutes. The whole mixture was then blended properly into a thick uniform paste which was sieved using a cheesecloth. The pulp left after sieving is used for further processing. Banana peel bioplastic fabrication The bioplastic was fabricated from the banana peel with slight modification in the reported method (Chapain et al. 2021) as represented in fig. 1. The process involved sequential steps, including washing, boiling, blending, hydrolysis with acetic acid, plasticization with glycerol, film casting and drying. Briefly, 3 mL of acetic acid was added to the 25 g of pulp and kept under continuous stirring at 600 rpm for 4 h after that 3 mL of glycerol was added into the above mixture. After adding the glycerol, a thick solution was obtained which was further stirred for 4 h. The paste was homogeneously spread on aluminum foil in the form of a sheet of approximately 1mm thickness and placed in the oven for drying at 50 ̊C for 2 h. After 2 h, the sample was taken out and the foil was carefully removed from the upper side. Finally, the resulting material was dried properly in the oven at 120 ̊ C for 3 hours. Obtained bananas peel-based materials in the form of bioplastic film (BPF) was used for further characterizations. The same procedure was followed with different ratio of acetic acid and glycerol as mentioned in table 1. Table 1: samples with different hydrolyzer (acetic acid) and plasticizer (glycerol) Samples Banans peel pulp (g) Acetic acid (mL) Glycerol (mL) Acetic acid:Glycerol BPF-I 25 3 3 1:1 BPF-II 25 3 6 1:2 BPF-III 25 9 24 3:8 Characterizations The obtained films with different ratios of hydrolyzer to plasticizer (BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III) were used for characterization to evaluate their properties. The surface morphology and texture of prepared banana peel-based bioplastics were analyzed by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM, cube series, Emcrafts, Korea) at 20 kV. The Chemical bonding of starch interaction of plasticizer ratio to hydrolyzer of fabricated bioplastics films were evaluated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR, ATR ALPHA, Billerica, MA, USA) (resolution 0.9 cm -1 , scan range: wavenumber 4000 cm -1 – 400 cm -1 ) spectroscopy and RAMAN (uRAMAN-532 Tec-Ci, Singapore) spectroscopy (Laser: single mode frequency, wavelength 532 ± 0.3 nm, spectral range: 100 cm -1 – 2500 cm -1 ) were used to evaluate the chemical bonding of the prepared films. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA, SDT650) and differential scanning calorimetry (TA instrument, SDT650, United States) (scan rate: 10 ̊C/min, environment: Nitrogen gas) techniques were used to analyze the thermal decomposition of films. Drop shape analyzer (DSA25E, Kruss) at room temperature for four seconds was used to evaluate the wetting nature of the sample films by measuring the water droplet angle on the surface of the film. The hydrolyzer to plasticizer effect on the mechanical properties of banana peel-based bioplastic was accessed using the stress-strain curve obtained from Universal Testing Machine (UTM, Shimadzu, AGX-V2) at room temperature. The water absorption capacity of BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III was evaluated by the following formula: where W water represents the wet mass of films after 60 min of putting into the distilled water and W dry represents the intial dry weight the films. The degradation of BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III was evaluated by putting them into the soil. Small and equal patches of 1 g of samples were cut and placed in soil for this. After the specific time interval such as 15, 30 and 60 days, the samples were drawn, and the weight was checked again. The degradation studies of BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III was evaluated by the following formula: Where, W 1 and W 2 correspond to the initial weight and weight after drawing from the soil of bioplastic film respectively. Statistical analysis All experimental results were statistically analyzed using GraphPad Prism software. Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation (SD) from at least three independent experiments (n = 3). Statistical significance was assessed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey’s post-hoc test for multiple group comparisons. An unpaired t-test was used for two-group comparisons. Statistical significance was considered at: *p < 0.05, p < 0.01 and ***p < 0.001 Results and discussion SEM analysis The surface morphology of bioplastic films was studied by using SEM. Fig. 2a represents that the material has weak interfacial adhesion due to low plasticizer concentrations in BPF-I. The weak interfacial adhesion might lead to a brittle structure. This could be due to the lower concentration of glycerol in the bioplastic (Azieyanti et al. 2020). Glycerol works by reducing the intermolecular forces within the polymer matrix, making the material more flexible. When the plasticizer ratio is low, these forces remain relatively strong, leading to poor plasticization and weak bonding. This might be the reason for the uneven surface observed in BPF-I. In the case of BPF-II, the increase in plasticizer content improved the interfacial bonding as seen in the relatively even surface in Fig. 2b . This also indicates an even distribution of filler across the starch plasticizer matrix owing to the reduced melt viscosity with the increased in glycerol concentration which leads to a better plasticization effect. Highly ordered regions of high interfacial tension and almost knitted- network structures were observed in BPF-II which showed the homogeneity of the amorphous matrix and a corresponding good tear resistance (Tarique et al. 2021). In BPF-III, further enhancement of acetic acid and glycerol caused some pores in bioplastic films as shown in fig. 2c . The presence of higher concentration of acetic acid might cause an increase in the breakdown of the chains of cellulose content. Also, the higher concentration of acetic acid might accelerate the breakdown of cellulose chains, weakening the overall structure. This degradation can create voids or pores in the fabricated bioplastic film. FTIR spectroscopy analysis Fig. 3 depicts the FTIR spectrum of banana peel-based bioplastic film with different ratios of acetic acid and glycerol represented as BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III. FTIR spectrum did not show any specific difference in samples BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III. The broad band appearing at 3400-3200 cm -1 corresponds to the O-H stretching vibration due to starch in the banana peel (Suchaiya et al. 2022). The decrease in intensity of the O-H peak might be due to the disruption of the hydrogen bond that was originally present in starch molecules and the addition of glycerol formed the new hydrogen bond and starch is more stable. Glycerol contains numerous hydroxyl groups that interact with the hydroxyl group of starch leading to the formation of the new strong bond (Mousazadehkasin and Tsavalas 2020). Peaks at 2933 cm -1 and 2878 cm -1 are due to the presence of C-H stretching in starch or might be due to the glucose ring (Afolabi et al. 2022)(Chen et al. 2021). The small bend of the peak at 1739 cm -1 corresponds to COO - anion and 1630 cm -1 could correspond to the bending O-H bond of absorbed water. The peaks at 1105 cm -1 and 1030 cm -1 might correspond to glycosidic linkages in the starch (Chapain et al. 2021)s. Raman spectroscopy analysis Fig. 4 represents the Raman spectra of BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III respectively. The peaks at 1319 cm -1 , 1330 cm -1 and 1314 cm -1 in BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III respectively represent the alicyclic and aliphatic chain vibrations of C-C. The peaks in BPF-I. BPF-II and BPF-III at 1574 cm -1 , 1585 cm -1 and 1560 cm -1 respectively correspond to C=C, which could have resulted from the hydrolysis of glucose chains by acetic acid (Kocaman 2020)(Stavrinou et al. 2023). Contact angle measurement The contact angle is the direct measurement of wettability to evaluate the hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces of materials. Fig. 5 represents the contact of water drop with the surface of samples BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III respectively. The contact angles for BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III samples were evaluated to be 42.20̊ ± 1.5̊, 58.20̊ ± 2.4̊ and 53.30̊ ± 1.7̊ respectively. All the tests were performed until 4 sec. The results showed that the BPF-II film showed a slightly more hydrophobic nature as compared to BPF-I and BPF-III. A lower contact angle indicates a hydrophilic surface where the water spreads out more readily and suggests a higher surface energy. Conversely, a higher contact angle indicates a more hydrophobic surface with lower surface energy where the water beads up and spreads as demonstrated by BPF-II. BPF-II exhibited the highest contact angle (58.2°), indicating moderate hydrophobicity. This aligns with studies where plasticizer incorporation alters the hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance of starch-based films (Zhu et al. 2022). The hydrophobic surface of the fabricated bioplastic are the repellent of water which prevent from adsorbing moisture. This is critical in applications where the bioplastic needs to maintain its structural integrity in humid and wet environment such as in food packing. Mechanical testing Mechanical studies were conducted by a stress-strain curve using the universal tensile machine (UTM). In case of BPF-II, the ultimate tensile strength was observed to be higher as compared to BPF-I due to an increase in plasticizer concentration. The contact angle measurement studies showed that BPF-II had a hydrophobic nature. Hydrophobic surfaces could contribute to improvement in mechanical properties such as tensile strength. The decrease in the ultimate strength of BPF-III represents the due to increase in hydrolysis of banana peel and plasticizer. The comparison of the tensile strength of BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III bioplastic has been shown in fig 6a. The highest tensile strength observed in BPF-II can be attributed to the optimized balance between the plasticizer (glycerol) and hydrolyzer (acetic acid). Plasticizers improve flexibility but tend to weaken mechanical strength at higher concentrations, while hydrolyzers promote structural integrity by modifying polymer chains. However, excessive acetic acid can degrade polymer networks, reducing film cohesion. This highlights the importance of precise formulation control, as excessive plasticization leads to phase separation and decreased intermolecular interactions (Sanyang et al. 2015; Hazrati et al. 2021). Studies have shown that an optimal balance between plasticizer and hydrolyzer enhances mechanical strength, while excessive plasticizer leads to weaker films (Chapain et al. 2021). Similarly, fig. 6b represents Young’s modulus of BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III with BPF-II showing the higher value of Young’s modulus which represents its higher mechanical stability as compared to the other samples. The bioplastic with a high young modulus could enhance the barrier properties against the gases and moisture in food packing leading to extended shelf life. High young modulus materials exhibit less creep, meaning they are less likely to deform over time under the constant load. This property is advantageous in applications where long-term dimensional stability is required. TGA/DSC analysis Fig. 7a represents the thermal decomposition of BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III bioplastic films from temperature 30 ̊C to 375 ̊C. The results suggest that the relative increase in plasticizer concentration improves the thermal decomposition of the film. The weight loss for BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III in the temperature range of 115°C- 175°C is due to the trapped water. The weight loss at 210 ̊C in BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III was 35.12%, 41.40% and 45.32% respectively observed due to the decomposition of O-H in bioplastic films. This decomposition might also be due to the smaller molecules presents in the raw materials of banana peels (Nurazzi et al. 2021). Further increase in temperature resulted in the onset of the glass transition of the material and the material seemed to complete its phase change to a viscous and rubbery state at 300°C. The weight loss due to the decomposition of starch present in the banana peel because of hydrolyzer was observed to be 22.01%, 15.68% and 14.71% for BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III respectively. In case of BPF-II, the increase in concentration of glycerol caused increased in decomposition as compared to BPF-I and further increased ratio of hydrolyzer and plasticizer caused increased the decomposition. This might be due to the decomposition of the O-H group in glycerol when the concentration of glycerol was increased. Further increasing concentration of acetic caused the broken bond in banana in resultant of hydrolyzer and caused increased in decomposition. Moreover, the total weight loss at 375 C̊ was observed to be 72.30%, 71.44% and 71.53% respectively, which showed that the increase in glycerol concentration controlled the decomposition of bioplastic films (Özeren et al. 2021). Prior research on starch-based bioplastics has shown that glycerol lowers the glass transition temperature (Tg) and reduces thermal stability due to its hygroscopic nature. It has been reported that corn starch-based bioplastics showed significant weight loss around 210°C due to glycerol decomposition, which aligns with the weight loss observed in BPF-III (Marichelvam et al. 2019). The heat flow curves (fig. 7b) show that the sample with the least plasticizer content hardly changes its phase. However, the increase in plasticizer content resulted in better cross-linking and therefore, a clear endothermic reaction around 225 o C. The endothermic peak was found to shift to higher temperatures 237 °C and 255 °C in BPF-III respectively. This is likely due to the higher cellulose and lignin content in banana peel, which reinforces the polymer matrix and delays decomposition. Despite glycerol’s typical role in reducing thermal stability, its optimized ratio with acetic acid may have facilitated stronger polymer interactions, improving heat resistance. However, TGA shows BPF-III undergoes faster decomposition, indicating that while it withstands higher temperatures, degradation accelerates beyond its thermal threshold (Chomachayi et al. 2022). Absorption and degradation studies The water uptake and degradation capacity of the all the films was measured. It can be deduced from the results that the higher relative concentration of glycerol plasticizer leads to denser banana peel pulp. Due to higher concentration of glycerol reduction in porosity of BPF-III led to the absorption of less amount of water by mass as shown in figure 8a. Whereas the volume water absorbance can be used to estimate the swelling of the film when it absorbs water. In this study, it was found that, the denser the sample, the more it swelled to compensate for the absorbed water since it has fewer pores to adsorb the water. BPF-III seems to be better suited for packaging applications since it shows the least amount of water uptake which is desired for a good packaging material. It was also observed that all three samples showed very good structural stability even after absorbing water and almost retained the same physical form afterward hinting at its potential as a good dry packaging option. Biopolymer tends to absorb water which depends on the number of hydroxyl groups present and the molecular weight of its structure. Glycerol is hydrophilic and contains a lower molecular weight carbohydrate with a three-carbon backbone. Each carbon in the backbone has a hydroxyl group. This structure enables glycerol to bind to a significant amount of water in proportion to its weight. The water absorption capacity increased as the concentration of hydroxyl groups in the film increased, as demonstrated in Fig. 8b. To test the biodegradability of the samples, they were buried in soil having a pH of 6.0. Fig. 8c shows the degradation % of developed BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III. The samples BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III were found to degrade 86 ± 3.75%, 91 ± 4.10% and 96 ± 3.40% respectively after 60 days. BPF-III exhibited the highest degradation rate (96% in 60 days), which can be attributed to its specific chemical composition. The high acetic acid concentration (3:8 ratio of hydrolyzer to plasticizer) played a crucial role in accelerating the breakdown of cellulose and starch chains in the banana peel matrix. This increased hydrolysis enhances microbial susceptibility, leading to faster biodegradation. The presence of higher glycerol content also reduces intermolecular forces, making the polymer matrix more accessible to environmental enzymes and microorganisms (Wicaksono et al. 2022). No changes in soil pH were recorded after the complete decomposition of the samples. Furthermore, the same samples sustained 8 months at room temperature without exhibiting any signs of visible degradation showing an excellent shelf life of at least 8 months. It was observed to be degraded when buried in soil or through direct exposure to moisture. The degradation is accelerated in wet soil, which can be attributed to increased enzymatic activity in wet soil conditions. Conclusion Bioplastics from raw banana peels offer a sustainable and biodegradable alternative to conventional plastics, addressing waste reduction and environmental concerns. The developed films demonstrated enhanced mechanical strength, thermal stability, and rapid biodegradability, making them suitable for industrial applications. Among the tested formulations, BPF-II (1:2 hydrolyzer-to-plasticizer ratio) exhibited the highest tensile strength 0.42 ± 0.02 MPa and optimal flexibility, while BPF-II showed moderate hydrophobicity, indicating its potential for packaging applications. The biodegradability test confirmed that BPF-III degraded by 96 ± 3.40% % within 60 days, significantly outperforming many starch-based bioplastics. However, the increased glycerol content in BPF-III, while enhancing flexibility, may have contributed to faster degradation and reduced barrier properties, which could limit its long-term stability in humid environments. Similarly, the hydrophobicity of BPF-II, though improved, remains lower than synthetic polymers, suggesting the need for further modification to enhance water resistance. Future studies should focus on improving moisture resistance, optimizing industrial scalability, and assessing long-term environmental impacts to ensure the commercial viability of banana peel-based bioplastics. Abbreviations CO₂ Carbon Dioxide O-H Hydroxyl Group C-H Carbon-Hydrogen Bond C=C Carbon-Carbon Double Bond COO⁻ Carboxylate Anion °C Degrees Celsius cm⁻¹ Wavenumber mm milli meter MPa Megapascal Tg Glass transition temperature W water Wet mass of film in absorption test W dry Dry mass of film in absorption test W 1 Initial dry weight in degradation test W 2 Final dry weight in degradation test Declarations Funding The authors are thankful to the Higher Education Commission for providing research grant # 10653 to Faheem Amin. 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BMC Microbiol 22:309 Wojnowska-Baryła I, Bernat K, Zaborowska M (2022) Plastic waste degradation in landfill conditions: the problem with microplastics, and their direct and indirect environmental effects. Int J Environ Res Public Health 19:13223 Zhang H, Hou H, Liu P, et al (2019) Effects of acid hydrolysis on the physicochemical properties of pea starch and its film forming capacity. Food Hydrocoll 87:173–179 Zhu J, Zhang S, Liu Y, et al (2022) Modelling and assessment of plasticizer migration and structure changes in hydrophobic starch-based films. Int J Biol Macromol 195:41–48 Supplementary Files Graphicalabstract.png Graphical abstract: Depicting the synthesis and characterization of banana peel-based bioplastic films. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 29 Jul, 2025 Read the published version in Chemical Papers → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Accept 07 Jul, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 13 Apr, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 08 Apr, 2025 Editor invited by journal 27 Mar, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 20 Mar, 2025 First submitted to journal 19 Mar, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-5046233","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":439928864,"identity":"240be25f-a107-4d4c-88b3-e900addd4996","order_by":0,"name":"Sawaira Sheikh","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"National University of Sciences and Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sawaira","middleName":"","lastName":"Sheikh","suffix":""},{"id":439928865,"identity":"49d2d1de-1639-476f-b73e-9b9ea4c1dcf4","order_by":1,"name":"Faheem Amin","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"National University of Sciences and Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Faheem","middleName":"","lastName":"Amin","suffix":""},{"id":439928866,"identity":"ae908002-4fd3-44c3-93f9-3b43f1453e4b","order_by":2,"name":"Yasir Iqbal","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"","institution":"National University of Sciences and Technology","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yasir","middleName":"","lastName":"Iqbal","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-09-06 21:45:33","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5046233/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5046233/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11696-025-04241-y","type":"published","date":"2025-07-29T16:05:37+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":80235572,"identity":"6242e69a-9eb4-4bd0-aacc-e0c4a8382e75","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-04-09 13:44:40","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":645246,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSchematic representation of the fabrication process for banana peel-based bioplastic\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5046233/v1/7134b294fdeb41f814159ebd.png"},{"id":80236024,"identity":"e3a37811-055a-426f-85ef-6eba3cc76932","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-04-09 13:52:40","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":969176,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eRepresents the surface morphology of fabricated bioplastic\u003cstrong\u003e (a) \u003c/strong\u003eBPF-I \u003cstrong\u003e(b) \u003c/strong\u003eBPF-II and\u003cstrong\u003e (c) \u003c/strong\u003eBPF-III\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5046233/v1/17e1571858a6a172ccd3dba4.png"},{"id":80236028,"identity":"209f1635-2ec7-48cc-91f1-12dcd71af463","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-04-09 13:52:40","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":277249,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eRepresents the FTIR spectra of bioplastic films with varying plasticizer-to-hydrolyzer ratios including 1:1 (BPF-I), 1:2 (BPF-II) and 3:8 (BPF-III).\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5046233/v1/0467c2b3fef5c94fe4aa878a.png"},{"id":80235578,"identity":"b7196e8c-fe20-4e56-b999-7bb229fed073","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-04-09 13:44:40","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":227910,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eRepresents the Raman spectra of bioplastic films with plasticizer-to-hydrolyzer ratios 1:1 (BPF-I), 1:2 (BPF-II), and 3:8 (BPF-III).\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5046233/v1/e767dfe7260ef361a3364360.png"},{"id":80236027,"identity":"aa570b73-69df-4087-bb4b-5e36378fa2f6","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-04-09 13:52:40","extension":"png","order_by":5,"title":"Figure 5","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":423869,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003erepresents water contact with the surface of samples\u003cstrong\u003e (a) \u003c/strong\u003eBPF-I bioplastic film\u003cstrong\u003e (b) \u003c/strong\u003eBPF-II\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c/strong\u003ebioplastic film\u003cstrong\u003e (c) \u003c/strong\u003eBPF-III bioplastic film.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5046233/v1/a799c3c3ef18769035037c05.png"},{"id":80236026,"identity":"737b24ea-c50b-4b08-a16b-79d73e67f1e3","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-04-09 13:52:40","extension":"png","order_by":6,"title":"Figure 6","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":160016,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e(a) \u003c/strong\u003erepresentation of ultimate strength\u003cstrong\u003e (b) \u003c/strong\u003eYoung modulus for BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III of bioplastic film.(*p \u0026lt; 0.05, p \u0026lt; 0.01 and ***p \u0026lt; 0.001).\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"6.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5046233/v1/f354f116495e201a9570b619.png"},{"id":80235580,"identity":"9874deb7-ce4e-4fba-bcfd-0bf37592be77","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-04-09 13:44:40","extension":"png","order_by":7,"title":"Figure 7","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":286459,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eRepresents \u003cstrong\u003e(a)\u003c/strong\u003eTGA thermograms of bioplastic films with plasticizer-to-hydrolyzer ratios 1:1 (BPF-I), 1:2 (BPF-II), and 3:8 (BPF-III) \u003cstrong\u003e(b)\u003c/strong\u003e DSC thermograms of bioplastic films with plasticizer-to-hydrolyzer ratios 1:1 (BPF-I), 1:2 (BPF-II), and 3:8 (BPF-III).\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"7.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5046233/v1/cb2a8460ab1ed6ffb6c3f31f.png"},{"id":80235583,"identity":"2eb0d33c-0a0b-40ff-a71b-4b0f26ddaacf","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-04-09 13:44:40","extension":"png","order_by":8,"title":"Figure 8","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":162417,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eRepresentation of bar graph for comparison of BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III \u003cstrong\u003e(a) \u003c/strong\u003ewater uptake capacity (%) \u003cstrong\u003e(b)\u003c/strong\u003e volume water absorbance (%) \u003cstrong\u003e(c)\u003c/strong\u003edegradation studies. (*p \u0026lt; 0.05, p \u0026lt; 0.01 and ***p \u0026lt; 0.001)\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"8.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5046233/v1/4f1cd77d3750cb37d4f25885.png"},{"id":88268194,"identity":"1cb05fdd-ab67-4baa-91e6-357437630218","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-04 16:49:56","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":4506848,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5046233/v1/fda62bb7-758e-4b9b-ab63-6d96c6304d67.pdf"},{"id":80235574,"identity":"694d9806-c88e-4fe1-8ec6-3896013e49d8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-04-09 13:44:40","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":173003,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGraphical abstract: \u003c/strong\u003eDepicting the synthesis and characterization of banana peel-based bioplastic films.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Graphicalabstract.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5046233/v1/b9fbedd0f590a56543178f92.png"}],"financialInterests":"","formattedTitle":"Sustainable synthesis and characterization of bioplastic films from whole banana peel: a comparative study on plasticizer-hydrolyzer ratios","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Plastic waste is one of the major concerns for the environment as well as marine life globally. Plastic has a large impact on the environment due to its huge production and use in daily life applications. Global plastic production reached approximately 400 million metric tons globally in 2021, and this number is expected to rise further due to increasing demand in packaging, construction and medical industries. By 2060, worldwide plastic consumption has been projected to rise to 1,231 million metric tons (de Sousa 2024). Conventional plastics pose significant environmental challenges due to their slow degradation and high chemical stability, leading to increased plastic waste and pollution. Research indicates that out of the 35 million metric tons of plastic waste generated globally each year, less than 7% is recycled, while the majority accumulates in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, causing severe ecological concerns (Chandra et al. 2024).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe primary plastic degradation strategies include landfilling,\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eincineration\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eand chemical recycling alongside natural processes such as aerobic/anaerobic degradation\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eand biomineralization. Biomineralization is an eco-friendly approach that breaks down plastic polymers into monomers (Nehra et al. 2022). However, synthetic plastics resist biological degradation, taking years to break down while releasing microplastics into the environment (Wojnowska-Baryła et al. 2022). These microplastics infiltrate the food chain, posing severe health risks such as cancer, immune disorders, hormonal imbalances, and developmental issues\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e(Sabarwal et al. 2018)\u003cstrong\u003e.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003ePlastic disposal, particularly through burning, leads to the release of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other toxic pollutants due to non-degradable polymers such as polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polypropylene, causing environmental and health hazards\u0026nbsp;(Geyer 2020). Growing global concerns over plastic pollution, particularly from disposable plastics, have driven extensive research efforts to develop sustainable alternatives, despite the numerous advantages plastics offer.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBiodegradable plastics are being developed to replace or be an alternative to non-degradable plastics in numerous applications. Such as in the food packaging sector, biodegradable films derived from natural polymers offer an eco-friendly substitute for single-use plastics, reducing environmental waste while maintaining product safety and shelf life (Shah et al. 2024). Additionally, consumer products including biodegradable cutlery, shopping bags and disposable tableware present a promising shift towards sustainability by reducing plastic dependency without compromising functionality (George and George 2023). The versatility of bioplastics across industries highlights their potential for large-scale adoption, addressing both environmental and industrial challenges (Vetrivel et al. 2025). Natural polymers are being focused on to develop economical and degradable plastic in replacement of non-degradable polymer because of environmental issues (Teixeira-Costa and Andrade 2021). The bioplastics market is growing rapidly and is expected to increase from USD 10.7 billion in 2021 to USD 29.7 billion by 2026, with a compound annual growth rate of 22.7%. However, the high production cost of bioplastics, ranging from USD 2 to 6 per kilogram compared to USD 1 to 2 per kilogram for conventional plastics, remains a major barrier to widespread adoption (Nanda and Bharadvaja 2022). Additionally, inefficient manufacturing processes further limit their scalability. While technological advancements may help reduce costs, achieving large-scale production remains a significant challenge.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe plants offer an alternative approach for the fabrication of plastic at a low cost and environmentally friendly materials (Akhil et al. 2023). Plant-based bioplastics are synthesized from renewable feedstocks like starch, cellulose, and vegetable oils through advanced processes such as enzymatic hydrolysis, microbial fermentation and polymerization (Kowser et al. 2025). A previous study reported the fabrication of bioplastic from chitosan reinforced with lignocellulose extracted from \u003cem\u003ePrunus dulcis\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eMangifera indica\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eHibiscus rosasinensis\u003c/em\u003e plant leaves with simple and secured biodegradable properties (Chandra et al. 2024). Also, plant-extracted starch is one of the key materials in bioplastic fabrication because of its easy accessibility, lower cost, renewability, biodegradability and non-toxic properties (Wicaksono et al. 2022). Starch is composed of long chains formed by two types of glucose units such as branched polymerized amylopectin and straight chain amylose, creating its granular structure. Moreover, starch composed with plasticizer and subjected to heat and mechanical treatment can act like thermoplastic (Jayarathna et al. 2022). A study reported that corn and rice extracted starch-based bioplastic exhibited a tensile strength of 12.5 MPa and a biodegradability of 48.7% within 15 days. It concluded that starch has the potential for future bioplastic development (Marichelvam et al. 2019).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this study, bioplastic films were innovatively fabricated from banana peel waste, utilizing varying concentrations of acetic acid for hydrolysis and glycerol as a plasticizer, showcasing a sustainable approach to biodegradable material development. The hydrolyzer was used to convert the branched amylopectin into amylose. This would improve the film-forming ability of starch-based bioplastics (Zhang et al. 2019).\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e Glycerol used as a plasticizer, is a triol that makes hydrogen bonds with the D-Glucose chains to form the backbone of the biopolymer. Glycerol is widely used as a plasticizer in natural polymer-based bioplastics due to its ability to reduce brittleness and improve film flexibility. Studies have demonstrated that glycerol increases intermolecular spacing in polymer matrices, thereby enhancing elongation and water absorption properties (Tarique et al. 2021).\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eThe cellulose present in the mixture acts as a filler in the matrix of starch and glycerol. The obtained bioplastic films were further characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for surface texture upon addition of different ratios of acetic acid and glycerol. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy were used to evaluate the chemical bonding in the presence of acetic acid and glycerol. Contact angle analysis was performed to quantify the wettability of the bioplastic films. Thermal decomposition and heat flow in films were also evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) respectively. Further water absorption and degradation studies were carried out.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Materials and methods","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaterials used\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSodium hydroxide (NaOH, 99.99%), glycerol (C₃H₈O₃, 99.0%), acetic acid (CH₃COOH, 99.99%) and distilled water were purchased from Sigma Aldrich (Korea). All the chemicals were used without any purification in the present work. Bananas were purchased from the local market of Islamabad, Pakistan.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;Processing of banana peel\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePeels were separated from the ripened bananas and cut into small patches. The banana\u0026rsquo;s peel patches were thoroughly washed with distilled water to clean from dust. Then, 500 g of bananas peel were boiled into 800 mL of distilled water for one hour on a hot plate. The pH of the solution was observed to be acidic, and it might be due to the presence of some organic acidic naturally present in banana peel. Furthermore, the mixture pH was neutralized by adding 1 M solution of NaOH dropwise and left to cool down for about 30 minutes. The whole mixture was then blended properly into a thick uniform paste which was sieved using a cheesecloth. The pulp left after sieving is used for further processing.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBanana peel bioplastic fabrication\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe bioplastic was fabricated from the banana peel with slight modification in the reported method (Chapain et al. 2021) as represented in fig. 1. The process involved sequential steps, including washing, boiling, blending, hydrolysis with acetic acid, plasticization with glycerol, film casting and drying.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBriefly, 3 mL of acetic acid was added to the 25 g of pulp and kept under continuous stirring at 600 rpm for 4 h after that 3 mL of glycerol was added into the above mixture. After adding the glycerol, a thick solution was obtained which was further stirred for 4 h. The paste was homogeneously spread on aluminum foil in the form of a sheet of approximately 1mm thickness and placed in the oven for drying at 50 ̊C for 2 h. After 2 h, the sample was taken out and the foil was carefully removed from the upper side. Finally, the resulting material was dried properly in the oven at 120 \u003csup\u003e̊\u003c/sup\u003eC for 3 hours. Obtained bananas peel-based materials in the form of bioplastic film (BPF) was used for further characterizations.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe same procedure was followed with different ratio of acetic acid and glycerol as mentioned in table 1.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable 1:\u003c/strong\u003e samples with different hydrolyzer (acetic acid) and plasticizer (glycerol)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 103px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSamples\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 103px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBanans peel pulp (g)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 99px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcetic acid (mL)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 114px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGlycerol (mL)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 198px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcetic acid:Glycerol\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 103px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eBPF-I\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 103px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 99px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 114px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 198px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1:1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 103px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eBPF-II\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 103px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 99px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 114px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 198px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1:2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 103px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eBPF-III\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 103px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 99px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 114px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e24\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 198px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3:8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCharacterizations\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe obtained films with different ratios of hydrolyzer to plasticizer (BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III) were used for characterization to evaluate their properties.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe surface morphology and texture of prepared banana peel-based bioplastics were analyzed by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM, cube series, Emcrafts, Korea) at 20 kV.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Chemical bonding of starch interaction of plasticizer ratio to hydrolyzer of fabricated bioplastics films were evaluated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR, ATR ALPHA, Billerica, MA, USA) (resolution 0.9 cm\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e, scan range: wavenumber 4000 cm\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e \u0026ndash; 400 cm\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e) spectroscopy and RAMAN (uRAMAN-532 Tec-Ci, Singapore) spectroscopy (Laser: single mode frequency, wavelength 532 \u0026plusmn; 0.3 nm, spectral range: 100 cm\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e \u0026ndash; 2500 cm\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e) were used to evaluate the chemical bonding of the prepared films.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThermogravimetric analysis (TGA, SDT650) and differential scanning calorimetry (TA instrument, SDT650, United States) (scan rate: 10 ̊C/min, environment: Nitrogen gas) techniques were used to analyze the thermal decomposition of films.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDrop shape analyzer (DSA25E, Kruss) at room temperature for four seconds was used to evaluate the wetting nature of the sample films by measuring the water droplet angle on the surface of the film.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe hydrolyzer to plasticizer effect on the mechanical properties of banana peel-based bioplastic was accessed using the stress-strain curve obtained from\u0026nbsp;Universal Testing Machine (UTM, Shimadzu, AGX-V2) at room temperature. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe water absorption capacity of BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III was evaluated by the following formula:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"data:image/png;base64,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\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewhere \u003cem\u003eW\u003csub\u003ewater\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/em\u003e represents the wet mass of films after 60 min of putting into the distilled water and \u003cem\u003eW\u003csub\u003edry\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/em\u003e represents the intial dry weight the films.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe degradation of BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III was evaluated by putting them into the soil. Small and equal patches of 1 g of samples were cut and placed in soil for this. After the specific time interval such as 15, 30 and 60 days, the samples were drawn, and the weight was checked again. The degradation studies of BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III was evaluated by the following formula:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"data:image/png;base64,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\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere, \u003cem\u003eW\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e1\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sub\u003e and \u003cem\u003eW\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e2\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sub\u003ecorrespond to the initial weight and weight after drawing from the soil of bioplastic film respectively.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStatistical analysis\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll experimental results were statistically analyzed using GraphPad Prism software. Data are presented as mean \u0026plusmn; standard deviation (SD) from at least three independent experiments (n = 3). Statistical significance was assessed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey\u0026rsquo;s post-hoc test for multiple group comparisons. An unpaired t-test was used for two-group comparisons. Statistical significance was considered at: *p \u0026lt; 0.05, p \u0026lt; 0.01 and ***p \u0026lt; 0.001\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Results and discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSEM analysis\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe surface morphology of bioplastic films was studied by using SEM. \u003cstrong\u003eFig. 2a\u003c/strong\u003e represents \u0026nbsp;that the material has weak interfacial adhesion due to low plasticizer concentrations in BPF-I. The weak interfacial adhesion might lead to a brittle structure. This could be due to the lower concentration of glycerol in the bioplastic (Azieyanti et al. 2020). Glycerol works by reducing the intermolecular forces within the polymer matrix, making the material more flexible. When the plasticizer ratio is low, these forces remain relatively strong, leading to poor plasticization and weak bonding. This might be the reason for the uneven surface observed in BPF-I.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the case of BPF-II, the increase in plasticizer content improved the interfacial bonding as seen in the relatively even surface in \u003cstrong\u003eFig. 2b\u003c/strong\u003e. This also indicates an even distribution of filler across the starch plasticizer matrix owing to the reduced melt viscosity with the increased in glycerol concentration which leads to a better plasticization effect. Highly ordered regions of high interfacial tension and almost knitted- network structures were observed in BPF-II which showed the homogeneity of the amorphous matrix and a corresponding good tear resistance (Tarique et al. 2021).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn BPF-III, further enhancement of acetic acid and glycerol caused some pores in bioplastic films as shown in \u003cstrong\u003efig. 2c\u003c/strong\u003e. The presence of higher concentration of acetic acid might cause an increase in the breakdown of the chains of cellulose content. Also, the higher concentration of acetic acid might accelerate the breakdown of cellulose chains, weakening the overall structure. This degradation can create voids or pores in the fabricated bioplastic film.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFTIR spectroscopy analysis\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFig. 3\u003c/strong\u003e depicts the FTIR spectrum of banana peel-based bioplastic film with different ratios of acetic acid and glycerol represented as BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III. FTIR spectrum did not show any specific difference in samples BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III. The broad band appearing at 3400-3200 cm\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e corresponds to the O-H stretching vibration due to starch in the banana peel (Suchaiya et al. 2022). The decrease in intensity of the O-H peak might be due to the disruption of the hydrogen bond that was originally present in starch molecules and the addition of glycerol formed the new hydrogen bond and starch is more stable. Glycerol contains numerous hydroxyl groups that interact with the hydroxyl group of starch leading to the formation of the new strong bond (Mousazadehkasin and Tsavalas 2020). Peaks at 2933 cm\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e and 2878 cm\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e are due to the presence of C-H stretching in starch or might be due to the glucose ring (Afolabi et al. 2022)(Chen et al. 2021). The small bend of the peak at 1739 cm\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e corresponds to COO\u003csup\u003e-\u003c/sup\u003e anion and 1630 cm\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e could correspond to the bending O-H bond of absorbed water. The peaks at 1105 cm\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e and 1030 cm\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e might correspond to glycosidic linkages in the starch (Chapain et al. 2021)s.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRaman spectroscopy analysis\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFig. 4\u003c/strong\u003e represents the Raman spectra of BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III respectively. The peaks at 1319 cm\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e, 1330 cm\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e and 1314 cm\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e in BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III respectively represent the alicyclic and aliphatic chain vibrations of C-C. The peaks in BPF-I. BPF-II and BPF-III at 1574 cm\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e, 1585 cm\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e and 1560 cm\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e respectively correspond to C=C, which could have resulted from the hydrolysis of glucose chains by acetic acid (Kocaman 2020)(Stavrinou et al. 2023).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eContact angle measurement\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe contact angle is the direct measurement of wettability to evaluate the hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces of materials. \u003cstrong\u003eFig. 5\u003c/strong\u003e represents the contact of water drop with the surface of samples BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III respectively. The contact angles for BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III samples were evaluated to be 42.20̊ \u0026plusmn; 1.5̊, 58.20̊ \u0026nbsp;\u0026plusmn; 2.4̊ and 53.30̊\u003csup\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003e\u0026plusmn; 1.7̊\u003csup\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003erespectively. All the tests were performed until 4 sec. The results showed that the BPF-II film showed a slightly more hydrophobic nature as compared to BPF-I and BPF-III.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA lower contact angle indicates a hydrophilic surface where the water spreads out more readily and suggests a higher surface energy. Conversely, a higher contact angle indicates a more hydrophobic surface with lower surface energy where the water beads up and spreads as demonstrated by BPF-II. BPF-II exhibited the highest contact angle (58.2\u0026deg;), indicating moderate hydrophobicity. This aligns with studies where plasticizer incorporation alters the hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance of starch-based films (Zhu et al. 2022).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe hydrophobic surface of the fabricated bioplastic are the repellent of water which prevent from adsorbing moisture. This is critical in applications where the bioplastic needs to maintain its structural integrity in humid and wet environment such as in food packing.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMechanical testing \u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMechanical studies were conducted by a stress-strain curve using the universal tensile machine (UTM). In case of BPF-II, the ultimate tensile strength was observed to be higher as compared to BPF-I due to an increase in plasticizer concentration. The contact angle measurement studies showed that BPF-II had a hydrophobic nature. Hydrophobic surfaces could contribute to improvement in mechanical properties such as tensile strength. The decrease in the ultimate strength of BPF-III represents the due to increase in hydrolysis of banana peel and plasticizer. The comparison of the tensile strength of BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III bioplastic has been shown in fig 6a. The highest tensile strength observed in BPF-II can be attributed to the optimized balance between the plasticizer (glycerol) and hydrolyzer (acetic acid). Plasticizers improve flexibility but tend to weaken mechanical strength at higher concentrations, while hydrolyzers promote structural integrity by modifying polymer chains. However, excessive acetic acid can degrade polymer networks, reducing film cohesion. This highlights the importance of precise formulation control, as excessive plasticization leads to phase separation and decreased intermolecular interactions (Sanyang et al. 2015; Hazrati et al. 2021).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Studies have shown that an optimal balance between plasticizer and hydrolyzer enhances mechanical strength, while excessive plasticizer leads to weaker films (Chapain et al. 2021). Similarly, fig. 6b represents Young\u0026rsquo;s modulus of BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III with BPF-II showing the higher value of Young\u0026rsquo;s modulus which represents its higher mechanical stability as compared to the other samples. The bioplastic with a high young modulus could enhance the barrier properties against the gases and moisture in food packing leading to extended shelf life. High young modulus materials exhibit less creep, meaning they are less likely to deform over time under the constant load. This property is advantageous in applications where long-term dimensional stability is required. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTGA/DSC analysis\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFig. 7a represents the thermal decomposition of BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III bioplastic films from temperature 30 ̊C to 375 ̊C. The results suggest that the relative increase in plasticizer concentration improves the thermal decomposition of the film. The weight loss for BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III in the temperature range of 115\u0026deg;C- 175\u0026deg;C is due to the trapped water. The weight loss at 210 ̊C in BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III was 35.12%, 41.40% and 45.32% respectively observed due to the decomposition of O-H in bioplastic films. This decomposition might also be due to the smaller molecules presents in the raw materials of banana peels (Nurazzi et al. 2021).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFurther increase in temperature resulted in the onset of the glass transition of the material and the material seemed to complete its phase change to a viscous and rubbery state at 300\u0026deg;C. The weight loss due to the decomposition of starch present in the banana peel because of hydrolyzer was observed to be 22.01%, 15.68% and 14.71% for BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III respectively. In case of BPF-II, the increase in concentration of glycerol caused increased in decomposition as compared to BPF-I and further increased ratio of hydrolyzer and plasticizer caused increased the decomposition. This might be due to the decomposition of the O-H group in glycerol when the concentration of glycerol was increased. Further increasing concentration of acetic caused the broken bond in banana in resultant of hydrolyzer and caused increased in decomposition. Moreover, the total weight loss at 375 C̊ was observed to be 72.30%, 71.44% and 71.53% respectively, which showed that the increase in glycerol concentration controlled the decomposition of bioplastic films (\u0026Ouml;zeren et al. 2021). Prior research on starch-based bioplastics has shown that glycerol lowers the glass transition temperature (Tg) and reduces thermal stability due to its hygroscopic nature. It has been reported that corn starch-based bioplastics showed significant weight loss around 210\u0026deg;C due to glycerol decomposition, which aligns with the weight loss observed in BPF-III (Marichelvam et al. 2019).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe heat flow curves (fig. 7b) show that the sample with the least plasticizer content hardly changes its phase. However, the increase in plasticizer content resulted in better cross-linking and therefore, a clear endothermic reaction around 225 \u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003eC. The endothermic peak was found to shift to higher temperatures 237 \u0026deg;C and 255 \u0026deg;C in BPF-III respectively. This is likely due to the higher cellulose and lignin content in banana peel, which reinforces the polymer matrix and delays decomposition. Despite glycerol\u0026rsquo;s typical role in reducing thermal stability, its optimized ratio with acetic acid may have facilitated stronger polymer interactions, improving heat resistance. However, TGA shows BPF-III undergoes faster decomposition, indicating that while it withstands higher temperatures, degradation accelerates beyond its thermal threshold (Chomachayi et al. 2022).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbsorption and degradation studies\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe water uptake and degradation capacity of the all the films was measured. It can be deduced from the results that the higher relative concentration of glycerol plasticizer leads to denser banana peel pulp. Due to higher concentration of glycerol reduction in porosity of BPF-III led to the absorption of less amount of water by mass as shown in figure 8a. Whereas the volume water absorbance can be used to estimate the swelling of the film when it absorbs water. In this study, it was found that, the denser the sample, the more it swelled to compensate for the absorbed water since it has fewer pores to adsorb the water. BPF-III seems to be better suited for packaging applications since it shows the least amount of water uptake which is desired for a good packaging material. It was also observed that all three samples showed very good structural stability even after absorbing water and almost retained the same physical form afterward hinting at its potential as a good dry packaging option. Biopolymer tends to absorb water which depends on the number of hydroxyl groups present and the molecular weight of its structure.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGlycerol is hydrophilic and contains a lower molecular weight carbohydrate with a three-carbon backbone. Each carbon in the backbone has a hydroxyl group. This structure enables glycerol to bind to a significant amount of water in proportion to its weight. The water absorption capacity increased as the concentration of hydroxyl groups in the film increased, as demonstrated in Fig. 8b.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo test the biodegradability of the samples, they were buried in soil having a pH of 6.0. Fig. 8c shows the degradation % of developed BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III. The samples BPF-I, BPF-II and BPF-III were found to degrade 86 \u0026plusmn; 3.75%, \u0026nbsp;91 \u0026plusmn; 4.10% and 96 \u0026plusmn; 3.40% respectively after 60 days. BPF-III exhibited the highest degradation rate (96% in 60 days), which can be attributed to its specific chemical composition. The high acetic acid concentration (3:8 ratio of hydrolyzer to plasticizer) played a crucial role in accelerating the breakdown of cellulose and starch chains in the banana peel matrix. This increased hydrolysis enhances microbial susceptibility, leading to faster biodegradation. The presence of higher glycerol content also reduces intermolecular forces, making the polymer matrix more accessible to environmental enzymes and microorganisms (Wicaksono et al. 2022).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo changes in soil pH were recorded after the complete decomposition of the samples. Furthermore, the same samples sustained 8 months at room temperature without exhibiting any signs of visible degradation showing an excellent shelf life of at least 8 months. It was observed to be degraded when buried in soil or through direct exposure to moisture. The degradation is accelerated in wet soil, which can be attributed to increased enzymatic activity in wet soil conditions.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eBioplastics from raw banana peels offer a sustainable and biodegradable alternative to conventional plastics, addressing waste reduction and environmental concerns. The developed films demonstrated enhanced mechanical strength, thermal stability, and rapid biodegradability, making them suitable for industrial applications. Among the tested formulations, BPF-II (1:2 hydrolyzer-to-plasticizer ratio) exhibited the highest tensile strength 0.42 \u0026plusmn; 0.02 MPa \u0026nbsp;and optimal flexibility, while BPF-II showed moderate hydrophobicity, indicating its potential for packaging applications. The biodegradability test confirmed that BPF-III degraded by 96 \u0026plusmn; 3.40% \u0026nbsp;% within 60 days, significantly outperforming many starch-based bioplastics. However, the increased glycerol content in BPF-III, while enhancing flexibility, may have contributed to faster degradation and reduced barrier properties, which could limit its long-term stability in humid environments. Similarly, the hydrophobicity of BPF-II, though improved, remains lower than synthetic polymers, suggesting the need for further modification to enhance water resistance. Future studies should focus on improving moisture resistance, optimizing industrial scalability, and assessing long-term environmental impacts to ensure the commercial viability of banana peel-based bioplastics.\u003c/p\u003e\n"},{"header":"Abbreviations","content":"\u003cp\u003eCO₂ \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; Carbon Dioxide\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eO-H \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; Hydroxyl Group\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eC-H \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; Carbon-Hydrogen Bond\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eC=C \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Carbon-Carbon Double Bond\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCOO⁻ \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Carboxylate Anion\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026deg;C \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Degrees Celsius\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecm⁻\u0026sup1; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; Wavenumber\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emm \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;milli meter\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMPa \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; Megapascal\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTg \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Glass transition temperature\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eW\u003csub\u003ewater\u003c/sub\u003e\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; Wet mass of film in absorption test\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eW\u003csub\u003edry\u003c/sub\u003e\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; Dry mass of film in absorption test\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eW\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; Initial dry weight in degradation test\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eW\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; Final dry weight in degradation test\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors are thankful to the Higher Education Commission for providing research grant # 10653 to Faheem Amin.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAfolabi FO, Musonge P, Bakare BF (2022) Evaluation of lead (II) removal from wastewater using banana peels: optimization study\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAkhil U V, Radhika N, Saleh B, et al (2023) A comprehensive review on plant‐based natural fiber reinforced polymer composites: fabrication, properties, and applications. 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Food Hydrocoll 87:173\u0026ndash;179\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eZhu J, Zhang S, Liu Y, et al (2022) Modelling and assessment of plasticizer migration and structure changes in hydrophobic starch-based films. Int J Biol Macromol 195:41\u0026ndash;48\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"chemical-papers","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"chpa","sideBox":"Learn more about [Chemical Papers](http://link.springer.com/journal/11696)","snPcode":"11696","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/CHPA/default.aspx","title":"Chemical Papers","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Mechanical stability, Swelling capacity, Degradation, Decomposition ","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5046233/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5046233/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"The present research focuses on the synthesis of bioplastic film from raw banana peels. This synthesis approach differs from conventional bioplastics by utilizing whole banana peel waste instead of extracted starch. In preparation for bioplastic film (BPF), acetic acid and glycerol were used as hydrolyzer and plasticizer respectively with different proportions such as 1:1 (BPF-I), 1:2 (BPF-II) and 3:8 (BPF-III). The synthesized bioplastic films were analyzed using multiple techniques to investigate their physicochemical properties and biodegradability. The surface morphology of bioplastic films was evaluated by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and RAMAN spectroscopy were utilized to investigate the chemical and intermolecular interaction of fabricated BPF. The contact angles were measured to be 42.20̊ ± 1.5̊, 58.20̊ ± 2.4̊ and 53.30̊ ± 1.7̊ for prepared BPF respectively. Stress-strain analysis was conducted to assess the mechanical stability of BPF. Mechanical analysis showed that BPF-II had the highest tensile strength (0.42 ± 0.02 MPa) and Young’s modulus (0.047 ± 0.02 MPa), demonstrating optimal plasticization. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to assess the thermal decomposition of the fabricated bioplastic films. The swelling and uptake capacity of developed BPF were analyzed in distilled water. BPF-I, BPF-II, and BPF-III exhibited 86 ± 3.75%, 91 ± 4.10%, and 96 ± 3.40% degradation in soil over 60 days, demonstrating their excellent degradability. Optimizing the plasticizer-to-hydrolyzer ratio enhanced mechanical strength, thermal stability and biodegradability, with BPF-II emerging as the most viable sample for sustainable packaging and environmental applications.","manuscriptTitle":"Sustainable synthesis and characterization of bioplastic films from whole banana peel: a comparative study on plasticizer-hydrolyzer ratios","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-04-09 13:44:35","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5046233/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Accept","date":"2025-07-07T15:48:43+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"","date":"2025-04-13T08:31:55+00:00","index":0,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-04-08T07:23:51+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"Chemical Papers","date":"2025-03-27T23:22:38+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-03-20T12:08:13+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Chemical Papers","date":"2025-03-19T05:17:27+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"chemical-papers","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"chpa","sideBox":"Learn more about [Chemical Papers](http://link.springer.com/journal/11696)","snPcode":"11696","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/CHPA/default.aspx","title":"Chemical Papers","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"797d6b23-ab8f-4f80-9e90-c4596e057c87","owner":[],"postedDate":"April 9th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-08-04T16:42:56+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-5046233","link":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11696-025-04241-y","journal":{"identity":"chemical-papers","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Chemical Papers"},"publishedOn":"2025-07-29 16:05:37","publishedOnDateReadable":"July 29th, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-04-09 13:44:35","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1007/s11696-025-04241-y","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11696-025-04241-y","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-5046233","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-5046233","identity":"rs-5046233","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}