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Chitosan-Based Hydrogel-Incorporated Trp-CDs with Antibacterial Properties and pH-Mediated Fluorescence Response as a
Lili Zhang1, Xin Gao1, Yuanmiao Feng1
1Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Fiber Materials and Manufacturing Technology, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
Abstract:
The great problem of food spoilage is causing food waste worldwide. However, prolonging the shelf life of food and responding to spoilage are good strategies for dealing with this problem. Herein, we present the design of multifunctional chitosan-based hydrogel-incorporated tryptophan carbon quantum dots (Trp-CDs) with antibacterial properties and pH-mediated fluorescence response (pH = 1-13). This chitosan (CS)/tannic acid (TA)/Trp-CDs hydrogel (CTTC hydrogel) was rapidly formed by a high density of hydrogen bonds and has the advantages of good mechanical properties (1628.55 kPa, 280%), washability (5-10 min), antioxidant activity (95.83%), and antibacterial properties. In practical application with fruits, the hydrogel significantly prolonged the shelf life of strawberries by at least 5 days and oranges by 20 days under ambient conditions. In particular, the hydrogel has good pH-mediated fluorescence responsiveness and reversibility due to doping with Trp-CDs, laying a foundation for its application in response to food spoilage.
