Volume 49 Number 3

Effect of modification of rhamnolipids on barium titanate powder and the mechanical properties of PHBV-BTO composites

Jinyan Liu^a,*, Shifeng Wen^b,?, Dejun Li^a

 
ABSTRACT:     In this study, the mechanical properties of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV)/barium titanate (BTO) composites were improved by the surface modification of BTO powder with rhamnolipid (RL) via a wet chemical method. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), brunauer Emmett Teller (BET) surface area analysis, water contact angle measurement, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were carried out. The water contact angle rose from 0? of unmodified BTO to 125? of RL-modified BTO (m-BTO). FTIR analysis confirmed that RL molecules were immobilized on BTO particle surfaces, primarily through hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces. XPS characterization showed that BTO and RL have enhanced interfacial interactions, but these interactions are non-covalent. BET results showed that increasing the RL dosage caused a gradual decrease in the specific surface area and adsorption capacity of m-BTO. Energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) analysis further showed a pronounced decrease in carbon content and concurrent increases in Ba and Ti fractions, indicating effective removal of impurities and successful adsorption of RL. TGA revealed a reduced mass loss for m-BTO, confirming improved thermal stability due to surface coating. SEM observations showed that RL modification prevents BTO particle agglomeration and improves particle dispersion in PHBV matrix. Notably, the optimal m-BTO loading resulted in a 32.7% improvement for the mechanical properties of PHBV/m-BTO composites compared to unmodified PHBV/BTO. This work presents a green and efficient surface modification strategy for BTO fillers, which offers good prospects for the fabrication of high-performance biomedical piezoelectric composite scaffolds.

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* Corresponding author, E-mail: liujinyan21@163.com, 93071@163.com

Received 30 Nov 2025, Accepted 25 Aug 2026