Study of Ethylene-Removing Materials Based on Eco-Friendly Composites with Nano-TiO<sub>2</sub>
Alba Maldonado,
Paulina Cheuquepan,
Sofía Gutiérrez,
Nayareth Gallegos,
Makarena Donoso,
Carolin Hauser,
Marina P. Arrieta,
Alejandra Torres,
Julio Bruna,
Ximena Valenzuela,
Abel Guarda,
María Galotto,
Francisco Rodríguez-Mercado
Affiliations
Alba Maldonado
Packaging Innovation Center (LABEN–Chile), Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Obispo Umaña 050, Santiago 9170201, Chile
Paulina Cheuquepan
Packaging Innovation Center (LABEN–Chile), Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Obispo Umaña 050, Santiago 9170201, Chile
Sofía Gutiérrez
Packaging Innovation Center (LABEN–Chile), Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Obispo Umaña 050, Santiago 9170201, Chile
Nayareth Gallegos
Packaging Innovation Center (LABEN–Chile), Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Obispo Umaña 050, Santiago 9170201, Chile
Makarena Donoso
Packaging Innovation Center (LABEN–Chile), Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Obispo Umaña 050, Santiago 9170201, Chile
Carolin Hauser
Department of Applied Chemistry, Nuremberg Institute of Technology Georg Simon Ohm, Keßlerplatz 12, 90489 Nuremberg, Germany
Marina P. Arrieta
Departamento Ingeniería Química Industrial y del Medio Ambiente, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, (ETSII-UPM), Calle José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
Alejandra Torres
Packaging Innovation Center (LABEN–Chile), Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Obispo Umaña 050, Santiago 9170201, Chile
Julio Bruna
Packaging Innovation Center (LABEN–Chile), Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Obispo Umaña 050, Santiago 9170201, Chile
Ximena Valenzuela
Packaging Innovation Center (LABEN–Chile), Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Obispo Umaña 050, Santiago 9170201, Chile
Abel Guarda
Packaging Innovation Center (LABEN–Chile), Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Obispo Umaña 050, Santiago 9170201, Chile
María Galotto
Packaging Innovation Center (LABEN–Chile), Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Obispo Umaña 050, Santiago 9170201, Chile
Francisco Rodríguez-Mercado
Packaging Innovation Center (LABEN–Chile), Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Obispo Umaña 050, Santiago 9170201, Chile
Ethylene is a phytohormone that is responsible of fruit and vegetable ripening. TiO2 has been studied as a possible solution to slowing down unwanted ripening processes, due to its photocatalytic capacity which enables it to remove ethylene. Thus, the objective of this study was to develop nanocomposites based on two types of eco-friendly materials: Mater-Bi® (MB) and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) combined with nano-TiO2 for ethylene removal and to determine their ethylene-removal capacity. First, a physical–chemical characterization of nano-TiO2 of different particle sizes (15, 21, 40 and 100 nm) was done through structural and morphological analysis (DRX, FTIR and TEM). Then, its photocatalytic activity and the ethylene-removal capacity were determined, evaluating the effects of time and the type of light irradiation. With respect to the analysis of TiO2 nanoparticles, the whole samples had an anatase structure. According to the photocatalytic activity, nanoparticles of 21 nm showed the highest activity against ethylene (~73%). The results also showed significant differences in ethylene-removal activity when comparing particle size and type and radiation time. Thus, 21 nm nano-TiO2 was used to produce nanocomposites through the melt-extrusion process to simulate industrial processing conditions. With respect to the nanocomposites’ ethylene-removing properties, there were significant differences between TiO2 concentrations, with samples with 5% of active showed the highest activity (~57%). The results obtained are promising and new studies are needed to focus on changes in material format and the evaluation in ethylene-sensitive fruits.