Photonics and nanophotonics and information and communication technologies in modern food packaging

The analysis of the problem of conjunction of information and communication technologies (ICT) with packaging industry and food production was made. The perspective of combining the latest advances of nanotechnology, including nanophotonics, and ICT for creating modern smart packaging was shown. There were investigated luminescent films with zinc oxide nanoparticles, which change luminescence intensity as nano-ZnO interacts with decay compounds of food products, for active and intelligent packaging. High luminescent transparent films were obtained from colloidal suspension of ZnO and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The influence of molecular mass, concentration of nano-ZnO, and film thickness on luminescent properties of films was studied in order to optimize the content of the compositions. The possibility of covering the obtained films with polyvinyl alcohol was considered for eliminating water soluble properties of PVP. The luminescent properties of films with different covers were studied. The insoluble in water composition based on ZnO stabilized with colloidal silicon dioxide and PVP in polymethylmethacrylate was developed, and the luminescent properties of films were investigated. The compositions are non-toxic, safe, and suitable for applying to the inner surface of active and intelligent packaging by printing techniques, such as screen printing, flexography, inkjet, and pad printing

Influence of Nanosized Silicon Oxide on the Luminescent Properties of ZnO Nanoparticles

For practical use of nanosized zinc oxide as the phosphor its luminescence quantum yields should be maximized. The aim of this work was to enhance luminescent properties of ZnO nanoparticles and obtain high-luminescent ZnO/SiO2 composites using simpler approaches to colloidal synthesis. The luminescence intensity of zinc oxide nanoparticles was increased about 3 times by addition of silica nanocrystals to the source solutions during the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles. Then the quantum yield of luminescence of the obtained ZnO/SiO2 composites is more than 30%. Such an impact of silica is suggested to be caused by the distribution of ZnO nanocrystals on the surface of silica, which reduces the probability of separation of photogenerated charges between the zinc oxide nanoparticles of different sizes, and as a consequence, there is a significant increase of the luminescence intensity of ZnO nanoparticles. This way of increasing nano-ZnO luminescence intensity facilitates its use in a variety of devices, including optical ultraviolet and visible screens, luminescent markers, antibacterial coatings, luminescent solar concentrators, luminescent inks for security printing, and food packaging with abilities of informing consumers about the quality and safety of the packaged product

Influence of Parameters of Screen Printing on Photoluminescence Properties of Nanophotonic Labels for Smart Packaging

Smart packaging is becoming more popular on world market as a new type of packaging able to react to changes in a packaged product during storage and informs a customer about the safety of consumption of packaged food. This article investigates the main technological issues of the use of nanophotonic printing inks based on ZnO/SiO2 nanoparticles and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) for printing active elements of smart packaging on paper substrates, concerning material properties and parameters of screen printing. It is determined that the use of ink compositions with medium content of ZnO/SiO2 nanoparticles allows obtaining blue-green and blue shades of luminescence color of screen printed images by changing ink layer thickness on papers with different contents of optical brightness agents (OBAs). The minimum content of ZnO/SiO2 nanoparticles in the developed fluorescent inks leads to blue luminescence colors regardless the contents of OBAs of the papers and ink layer thickness. The luminescence intensity is directly proportional to ink layer thickness and partly depends on the content of OBAs in the selected paper. In order to fabricate nanophotonic elements of smart packaging with predetermined photoluminescence properties, the influence of investigated factors on photoluminescence properties of printed nanophotonic labels should be taken into account

Photonics and nanophotonics and information and communication technologies in modern food packaging

The analysis of the problem of conjunction of information and communication technologies (ICT) with packaging industry and food production was made. The perspective of combining the latest advances of nanotechnology, including nanophotonics, and ICT for creating modern smart packaging was shown. There were investigated luminescent films with zinc oxide nanoparticles, which change luminescence intensity as nano-ZnO interacts with decay compounds of food products, for active and intelligent packaging. High luminescent transparent films were obtained from colloidal suspension of ZnO and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The influence of molecular mass, concentration of nano-ZnO, and film thickness on luminescent properties of films was studied in order to optimize the content of the compositions. The possibility of covering the obtained films with polyvinyl alcohol was considered for eliminating water soluble properties of PVP. The luminescent properties of films with different covers were studied. The insoluble in water composition based on ZnO stabilized with colloidal silicon dioxide and PVP in polymethylmethacrylate was developed, and the luminescent properties of films were investigated. The compositions are non-toxic, safe, and suitable for applying to the inner surface of active and intelligent packaging by printing techniques, such as screen printing, flexography, inkjet, and pad printing

The Influence of Parameters of Ink-Jet Printing on Photoluminescence Properties of Nanophotonic Labels Based on Ag Nanoparticles for Smart Packaging

Ag nanoparticles are perspective for the use in ink-jet printed smart packaging labels in order to protect a customer from counterfeit or inform them about the safety of consumption of a packaged product via changeable luminescence properties. It is determined that, to obtain printed images with the highest luminescence intensity, using the most technologically permissible concentration of fluorescent component in the ink composition and applying inks to papers with the lowest absorbance are recommended. The highest contrast of a tone fluorescent image can be obtained on papers with high degree of sizing. It is found that the use of papers with low optical brightness agent (OBA) content with a wide range of luminescence intensity allows obtaining the same visual legibility of a printed nanophotonic label. The increase in the relative area of raster elements of an image leads to nonlinear increase in luminescence intensity of printed images in long-wave area of visible spectrum, affecting the luminescence color of a printed label. For wide industrial production of printed nanophotonic labels for smart packaging, the created principles of reproduction of nanophotonic images applied onto paper materials by ink-jet printing technique using printing inks containing Ag nanoparticles should be taken into account

The Use of Carbon Nanoparticles for Inkjet-Printed Functional Labels for Smart Packaging

Smart packaging functions can be provided by printing functional labels onto packaging materials using inkjet printing and inks with changeable photoluminescence properties. Carbon nanoparticles are considered a perspective fluorescent component of such inks. Ink compositions based on carbon nanoparticles are developed and adapted for inkjet printing on paper packaging materials for producing smart packaging labels. The influence of technological factors of the printing process on the photoluminescence characteristics of the printed images is investigated. The main investigated factors are the concentration of carbon nanoparticles, the relative area of raster elements of a raster field of a tone image, the absorbance and surface smoothness of paper. The resulting parameters are photoluminescence intensity and color. It is found that in case of changes in surface smoothness and absorbance of paper and concentrations of carbon nanoparticles in the ink compositions, the photoluminescence intensity of a printed image changes while its photoluminescence color remains the same. To obtain the highest contrast of tone inkjet-printed images with carbon nanoparticles on papers with any absorbance, the highest concentration of carbon nanoparticles in the ink composition should be used. However, the highest contrast and the highest own photoluminescence intensity of a tone inkjet-printed image with inks with carbon nanoparticles can be achieved only on papers with the lowest absorbance. The most noticeable difference between photoluminescence intensity of printed images on papers with any absorbance can be obtained with the lower concentration of carbon nanoparticles in the ink composition (10 mg/mL). The optimum concentrations of carbon nanoparticles in the composition are determined: for papers with low absorbance—10 mg/mL, and for papers with medium and high absorbance—25 mg/mL. Analytical dependency is created for photoluminescence intensity of images printed with inkjet printing inks with carbon nanoparticles as a function of the studied technological factors. Some design solutions for photoluminescent labels are suggested

Extent of carbon nitride photocharging controls energetics of hydrogen transfer in photochemical cascade processes

Abstract Graphitic carbon nitride is widely studied in organic photoredox catalysis. Reductive quenching of carbon nitride excited state is postulated in many photocatalytic transformations. However, the reactivity of this species in the turn over step is less explored. In this work, we investigate electron and proton transfer from carbon nitride that is photocharged to a various extent, while the negative charge is compensated either by protons or ammonium cations. Strong stabilization of electrons by ammonium cations makes proton-coupled electron transfer uphill, and affords air-stable persistent carbon nitride radicals. In carbon nitrides, which are photocharged to a smaller extent, protons do not stabilize electrons, which results in spontaneous charge transfer to oxidants. Facile proton-coupled electron transfer is a key step in the photocatalytic oxidative-reductive cascade – tetramerization of benzylic amines. The feasibility of proton-coupled electron transfer is modulated by adjusting the extent of carbon nitride photocharging, type of counterion and temperature