Advances in biomass-based carbon dots for smart food packaging applications

Background

The increasing demand for smart food packaging has driven interest in functional materials that can provide real-time quality monitoring and product protection. Among them, carbon dots (CDs), especially those derived from biomass, have emerged as promising candidates due to their tunable fluorescence, biocompatibility, and environmental responsiveness. However, current research lacks a systematic and integrated discussion of how CDs can be synthesized, functionalized, and engineered for practical packaging applications.

Scope and approach

This review highlights recent advances in biomass-derived CDs for smart packaging, with a focus on green and scalable synthesis methods, structure-property relationships, and functional integration. Key aspects, including fluorescence behavior, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, and environmental responsiveness, are discussed in terms of how they contribute to mechanical and barrier properties reinforcement, freshness indication, food preservation, and anti-counterfeiting. The review further examines the safety, biodegradability, and regulatory issues of biomass-based CDs.

Key findings and conclusions

Biomass-derived CDs exhibit multifunctional properties that enhance packaging performance and enable intelligent responses to food quality changes. When incorporated into biopolymer matrices, CDs can improve tensile strength, UV shielding, and water vapor and oxygen barrier properties, while also acting as active agents for freshness monitoring, food preservation, and counterfeit prevention. Challenges remain in optimizing fluorescence stability, improving yield and emission tunability, and ensuring compatibility with packaging matrices. Future work should develop multi-responsive CDs that remain stable in cold-chain and low-light conditions, along with standardized production methods linking biomass composition to performance. These advances will improve reproducibility, lower costs, and enable large-scale use.