In this article, several applications of nanomaterials in food packaging and food safety are reviewed, including: polymer/clay nanocomposites as high barrier packaging materials, silver nanoparticles as potent antimicrobial agents, and nanosensors and nanomaterial-based assays for the detection of food-relevant analytes (gasses, small organic molecules and food-borne pathogens). In addition to covering the technical aspects of these topics, the current commercial status and understanding of health implications of these technologies are also discussed. These applications were chosen because they do not involve direct addition of nanoparticles to consumed foods, and thus are more likely to be marketed to the public in the short term.

Applications of nanotechnology in food packaging and food safety: Barrier materials, antimicrobials and sensors

Antibacterial and superhydrophilic electrospun polyurethane nanocomposite fibers containing tourmaline nanoparticles

Part I Introduction.- Electrospun nanofibers: Solving global issues.- Part II Electrospun nanofibers for energy applications.- Electrospun Nanofibers for Design and Fabrication of Electrocatalysts and Electrolyte Membranes for Fuel cells.- Applications of Electrospinning in Design and Fabrication of Electrodes for Lithium Ion Batteries.- Electrospun Fibrous Membranes as Separators of Lithium-Ion Batteries.- Electrospun oxide nanofibers for dye-sensitized solar cells.- Application of Electrospun Nanofibers in Organic Photovoltaics.- Application of Nanofibers in Super Capacitors.- Applications of Bulk and Nanostructured Polyaniline in Hydrogen Storage.- Electrospinning of Phase Change Materials for Thermal Energy Storage.- Electrospun Nanofibrous Sorbents and Membranes for Carbon Dioxide Capture.- Part III Electrospun nanofibers for environmental applications.- Electrospun Nanofiber-based Sensors.- Electrospun Nanofibers for Air Filtration.- Electrospun Nanofibrous Membranes for Liquid Filtration.- Protective Clothing Based on Electrospun Nanofibrous Membranes.- Electrospun Nanofiber-based Photocatalysts.- Multicomponent nanofibers via electrospinning of polymers and colloidal dispersions for environmental and optical applications.- Applications of Electrospun Nanofibers in Oil Spill Clean-Up.- Electrospun Superhydrophobic Self-cleaning Materials.- Adsorbents Based on Electrospun nanofibers.- Application of Electrospun Nanofibers in Electromagnetic Interference Shielding.

Electrospun nanofibers for energy and environmental applications

Nanofibrous structures developed by electrospinning technology provide attractive extracellular matrix conditions for the anchorage, migration, and differentiation of tissue cells, including those responsible for the regeneration of hard tissues. Together with the ease of set up and cost-effectiveness, the possibility to produce nanofibers with a wide range of compositions and morphologies is the merit of electrospinning. Significant efforts have exploited the development of bone regenerative nanofibers, which includes tailoring of composite/hybrid compositions that are bone mimicking and the surface functionalization such as mineralization. Moreover, by utilizing bioactive molecules such as adhesive proteins, growth factors, and chemical drugs, in concert with the nanofibrous matrices, it is possible to provide artificial materials with improved cellular responses and therapeutic efficacy. These studies have mainly focused on the regulation of stem cell behaviors for use in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. While there are some challenges in achieving controllable delivery of bioactive molecules and complex-shaped three-dimensional scaffolds for tissue engineering, the electrospun nanofibrous matrices can still have a beneficial impact in the area of hard-tissue regeneration.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/2041731412443530

A short review: Recent advances in electrospinning for bone tissue regeneration.

Antimicrobial metal–organic frameworks incorporated into electrospun fibers

In this study, a new class of polyurethane (PU) nanofibers containing silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) was synthesized by electrospinning. A simple method that did not depending on additional foreign chemicals was used to self synthesize the silver NPs in/on PU nanofibers. The synthesis of silver NPs was carried out by exploiting the reduction ability of N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), which is used mainly to decompose silver nitrate to silver NPs. Typically, a sol-gel consisting of AgNO3/PU was electrospun and aged for one week. Silver NPs were created in/on PU nanofibers. SEM confirmed the well oriented nanofibers and good dispersion of pure silver NPs. TEM indicated that the Ag NPs were 5 to 20 nm in diameter. XRD demonstrated the good crystalline features of silver metal. The mechanical properties of the nanofiber mats showed improvement with increasing silver NPs content. The fixedness of the silver NPs obtained on PU nanofibers was examined by harsh successive washing of the as-prepared mats using a large amount of water. The results confirmed the good stability of the synthesized nanofiber mats. Two model organisms,E. coli andS. typhimurium, were used to check the antimicrobial influence of these nanofiber mats. Subsequently, antimicrobial tests indicated that the prepared nanofibers have a high bactericidal effect. Accordingly, these results highlight the potential use of these nanofiber mats as antimicrobial agents.

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In Hee Jung

Papers

Electrospun Antimicrobial Polyurethane Nanofibers Containing Silver Nanoparticles for Biotechnological Applications