Visible light-driven multichannel concerted antibacterial films with Photodynamically enhanced self-cascading Chemodynamic actions for long-term preservation of perishable food

Abstract

This work pioneered an innovative visible light-powered, self-cascading peroxide antimicrobial packaging system (RPFe-CS), featuring a photodynamic enhancement effect achieved through the demand-oriented design of riboflavin sodium phosphate and Fe coordination complexes (RPFe) fillers with photodynamic and peroxidase activities, and the ingenious selection of slightly acidic chitosan (CS) film matrix. In this system, the photo-responsive properties of RPFe particles not only generate the •O₂⁻, •OH, and ¹O₂ required for photodynamic sterilization, but also the produced H₂O₂ serves as a necessary substrate for peroxidase to exert its bactericidal effect, endowing the packaging system with a “self-production and self-marketing” cascade process. The RPFe^0.3-CS film achieved efficient eradication to bacteria and fungi reaching up to 99.9 % and 90.6 %, respectively, thereby demonstrating an excellent effect that significantly extends the storage period of cherry tomatoes by 1.5 times. These desirable properties underscore the significant advantages of RPFe^0.3-CS film in addressing the challenges of food microbial spoilage.