Abstract
Colorimetric sensors developed by the solution blow spinning (SBS) technique have a rapid response to a variation in different physicochemical properties. In this study, polystyrene nanofibrous (PSNF) mats containing the bromothymol blue (BTB) indicator were obtained by SBS for the pH sensing of wine sample. The incorporation of the indicator did not promote changes in fiber diameter but led to the appearance of beads, allowing for the encapsulation of BTB. The halochromic property of BTB was retained in the PSNF material, and the migration tests showed that the indicator mats presented values below the maximum acceptable limit (10 mg dm−2) established by EU Commission Regulation No. 10/2011 for foods with an alcohol content up to 20%. The present study opens the possibility of applying nanostructured materials to innovative food packaging which, through nanosensory zones, change color as a function of the food pH.
Highlights
The engineering of nanostructured materials has played an important role in the development of techniques designed to obtain nanomaterials with great potential for application in biomedicine [1], civil construction [2], cosmetics [3], and agribusiness [4] among others
The obtained smart nanofibers showed a visual sensitivity to changes in pH in aqueous and vapor media
The incorporation of bromothymol blue (BTB) into the PS fibers did not promote intense modifications to the morphology of the nanofibers but led to the formation of beads that promoted the encapsulation of the dye
Summary
The engineering of nanostructured materials has played an important role in the development of techniques designed to obtain nanomaterials with great potential for application in biomedicine [1], civil construction [2], cosmetics [3], and agribusiness [4] among others. Intelligent packaging incorporates devices that are able to monitor, in real time, the quality of the food and/or the packaging itself through responses to chemical changes, such as variations in pH [7,13,14], CO2 production [15], food freshness [16], or a time–temperature indicator [17], among others This set of chemical modifications can be evaluated by the appropriate use of polymer nanomaterials in the construction of sensors. The authors proposed the use of the PAN-TCF-H halochromic nanofibrous sensor for the detection of amines and ammonia Studies such as this open the door for applications of intelligent packaging, given that biogenic amines (histamine, cadaverine, tyramine and tryptamine) can promote food poisoning [37]. The PS/BTB nanofibrous mats were investigated with respect to fiber morphology, indicator migration (dye leaching process) in aqueous media and halochromic behavior in aqueous media at different pH and exposed to acid vapors in red wine samples
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