Abstract
Ethylene causes faster deterioration of perishable crops during postharvest transportation and storage. The present study aimed to develop TiO2-coated nanofibers with efficient photocatalytic activities to enhance the degradation of fruit-emitted ethylene. The consecutive electrospinning of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and TiO2 deposition was successfully performed to produce PAN@TiO2 nanofibers. The scanning electron microscopy results indicate the uniform distribution of TiO2 nanoparticles on the surface of the PAN nanofiber. The PAN@TiO2 composite nanofibers exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity for ethylene degradation under low-intensity UV light irradiation. Furthermore, a tomato fruit-ripening test confirmed the effectiveness of the PAN@TiO2 nanofibers. The PAN@TiO2 nanofibers exhibited effective ethylene degradation and slowed the color shift and softening of the tomatoes during storage. The results suggest great potential for use of the PAN@TiO2 composite nanofibers as ethylene scavenging packaging material for fresh fruits and vegetables.
Highlights
Ethylene is a natural aging hormone that enhances the decay of perishable crops during postharvest transportation and storage
Active packaging, which involves the addition of active component in packaging systems, is widely implemented to maintain or extend food product qualities and shelf lives [2]
Several ethylene scavenging packaging systems have been developed for fruits and vegetables
Summary
Ethylene is a natural aging hormone that enhances the decay of perishable crops during postharvest transportation and storage. Removing ethylene from the environment surrounding fresh produce plays a pivotal role in prolonging their shelf life and reducing postharvest losses [1]. Several ethylene scavenging packaging systems have been developed for fruits and vegetables. Potassium permanganate (KMnO4 ) or activated carbon is used in the form of sachets [3,4]; and clays and halloysite nanotubes are incorporated into films as ethylene scavenging materials [5,6]. These oxidizers and absorbers are limited by waste disposal and limited adsorption capacity [7]. Emerging technologies based on photocatalytic oxidation of ethylene offer an alternative approach that could overcome these disadvantages
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