Abstract
The widespread use of non-degradable petroleum-based plastics in food packaging, favored for their cost-effectiveness and strong barrier properties, has led to severe environmental issues. Cellulose and chitin, the most abundant polysaccharides in nature, offer promising sustainable alternatives. Their nanomaterials exhibit high crystallinity and strong hydrogen bonding, which enable excellent mechanical and barrier performance. This makes cellulose- and chitin-based nanomaterials ideal candidates for developing barrier films to substitute petroleum-based plastics. Developing high-performance barrier films requires an understanding of the process-structure-property (PSP) relationships that govern oxygen and moisture transport as well as mechanical stability. This work applies data-driven materials informatics to accelerate that understanding. A curated dataset of 104 cellulose- and chitin-based barrier films, compiled from both literature and laboratory experiments, was constructed to link processing parameters with barrier and mechanical performance. Using a customized classification algorithm, a reduced design region of processing parameters associated with improved film performance was identified, providing actionable guidance for experimental design and optimization.