Impact of different surfactants on chitosan/sodium alginate films reinforced with bergamot oil

Active packaging often contains essential oils and plant extracts, which are predominantly hydrophobic. Surfactants are added to stabilize the matrix, improve the dispersion, and ultimately enhance the effectiveness of the active compounds. In the present study evaluate how different surfactants affect Bergamot essential oil incorporated into chitosan and sodium alginate-based packaging film. The incorporation of surfactants leads to enhancement in film thickness and elongation at break, and tensile strength was reduced, which is attributed to altered intermolecular hydrogen bonding and increased chain mobility. XRD and FTIR analyses revealed chemical interactions between additives and polymeric chains that reduced crystallinity and peak intensities. Furthermore, optical, color, and functional properties including water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), swelling index, water contact angle, and antioxidant activity were analyzed. Overall, the results demonstrated that the strategic selection of surfactant enables the development of high-performance material for sustainable active packaging applications.