| Summary: | A poly(methyl methacrylate-<i>co</i>-maleic anhydride) P(MMA-<i>co</i>-MA) copolymer was synthesized via radical polymerization. The synthesized P(MMA-<i>co</i>-MA) copolymer was identified by <sup>1</sup>H- and <sup>13</sup>C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (<sup>1</sup>H-NMR), (<sup>13</sup>C-NMR), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The poly(butylene adipate-<i>co</i>-terephthalate) (PBAT)/P(MMA-<i>co</i>-MA)–SiO<sub>2</sub> composites were developed using a solution-casting method. The PBAT to P(MMA-<i>co</i>-MA) weight ratio was kept at 70:30, while the weight percentage of SiO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles (NPs) was varied from 0.0 to 5.0 wt.%. SiO<sub>2</sub> was used for PBAT/P(MMA-<i>co</i>-MA) to solve the compatibility between PBAT and the P(MMA-<i>co</i>-MA) matrix. The PBAT/P(MMA-<i>co</i>-MA)–SiO<sub>2</sub> composites were characterized by studied FTIR spectroscopy, XRD, SEM, and TEM. A comparison of the composite film PBAT/P(MMA-<i>co</i>-MA)–SiO<sub>2</sub> (PBMS-3) with the virgin PBAT and P(MMA-<i>co</i>-MA) film revealed its good tensile strength (19.81 MPa). The WVTR and OTR for the PBAT/P(MMA-<i>co</i>-MA)–SiO<sub>2</sub> composites were much smaller than for PBAT/P(MMA-<i>co</i>-MA). The PBAT/P(MMA-<i>co</i>-MA)–SiO<sub>2</sub> WVTR and OTR values of the composites were 318.9 ± 2.0 (cc m<sup>−2</sup> per 24 h) and 26.3 ± 2.5 (g m<sup>−2</sup> per 24 h). The hydrophobicity of the PBAT/P(MMA-<i>co</i>-MA) blend and PBAT/P(MMA-<i>co</i>-MA)–SiO<sub>2</sub> composites was strengthened by the introduction of SiO<sub>2</sub>, as measured by the water contact angle. The PBAT/P(MMA-<i>co</i>-MA)–SiO<sub>2</sub> composite films showed excellent antimicrobial activity against the food-pathogenic bacteria <i>E. coli</i> and <i>S. aureus</i> from the area of inhibition. Overall, the improved packaging characteristics, such as flexibility, tensile strength, low O<sub>2</sub> and H<sub>2</sub>O transmission rate, and good antimicrobial activities, give the PBAT/P(MMA-<i>co</i>-MA)–SiO<sub>2</sub> composite film potential for use in food packaging applications.
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