Preparation and characterization of gelatin/cerium(III) film

A novel gelatin film with antibacterial activity was prepared by electrostatic crosslinking using cerium (III) nitrate hexahydrate as the crosslinking agent. The structure and properties of the films were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectra, tensile tests, thermogravimetric analysis, static drop contact angle and disc diffusion method. The results showed that cross-linking could not only improve the thermal and mechanical properties and lower the hydrophilic property of the films, but also make them exhibit strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli.