Carbon Nanostructures As Antibacterials and Active Food-Packaging Materials: A Review

In this article, we discuss carbon nanoparticles for application as antibacterials and food-packaging materials. The use of petroleum-derived products, synthetic materials, ceramics, wax, etc. in the food-packaging industry emits polluted gas and wastewater, which leads to environmental pollution. To overcome the problems faced by the industry to preserve and package food, carbon nanomaterials may be good alternatives to enhance the shelf life of food without affecting the nutrients. Carbon atoms bond with each other in diverse ways to form many allotropes, resulting in a variety of carbon nanomaterials (CNMs). CNMs include zero-dimensional carbon dots, graphene quantum dots, 1-dimensional carbon nanotubes, 2-dimensional pristine graphene, graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, and other derivatives of graphene. Most of the carbon-based nanomaterials are synthesized through a green process that is widely used in the field of food science and technology, and they are used mostly as antibacterial agents and as a biofiller in the development of active food-packaging materials. Carbon nanomaterials (CNMs), viz., carbon dots, graphene, activated carbon-based nanocomposites, carbon nanotubes, etc., are found to be environmentally benign and better materials for food packaging. With antibacterial efficiency, they support food preservation and other applications as well. Thus, carbon nanostructures are found to be applicable as superior materials for food preservation and packaging in modern industry.