A plant leaf-mimicking film with tailored photodynamic antibacterial behavior for efficient preservation of perishable products

Abstract

This work unveiled a novel biomimic visible light-harvesting film (NHC-Cur-CS) with exceptional photodynamic bactericidal activity to address the microbial spoilage of perishable products. This film was designed through a demand-oriented tailoring process that involved the integration of curcumin-loaded nitrogen-rich hollow/porous carbon fillers (NHC-Cur) and the skillful selection of chitosan (CS) matrix. The NHC-Cur-CS film boasts an impressive array of antibacterial features, including high killing rates (≥ 99.27%) and short processing times (20 min) upon visible light stimulation. The NHC-Cur-CS film has demonstrated commendable preservation performance, extending the shelf-life of citrus by up to 2.2 times. These desirable outcomes stem from the innovative designs: (i) the formation of Z-type heterojunction and hollow/porous structure bestow NHC-Cur with superior photodynamic activity, and (ii) the meticulous matching of NHC-Cur with CS mitigates the shortcomings of both materials in antibacterial process. These remarkable features highlight the potential of NHC-Cur-CS film for safeguarding perishable products effectively.