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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Quality and Safety Assessment Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #279944
Title: Effect of Coating and Packaging Materials on Photocatalytic and Antimicrobial Activities of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles

Author
item WANG, JIAMEI - Nanjing Agricultural University
item LI, CAN - Nanjing Agricultural University
item Zhuang, Hong
item ZHANG, JIANHAO - Nanjing Agricultural University

Submitted to: Annual Meeting of the Institute of Food Technologists
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/10/2012
Publication Date: 6/25/2012
Citation: Wang, J., Li, C., Zhuang, H., Zhang, J. 2012. Effect of Coating and Packaging Materials on Photocatalytic and Antimicrobial Activities of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles [abstract]. Annual Meeting of the Institute of Food Technologists.

Interpretive Summary: Food safety or foodborne pathogen contamination is a major concern in food industry. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a photocatalyst and can inactivate a wide spectrum of microorganisms under UV illumination. There is significant interest in the development of TiO2-coated or –incorporated food packaging materials to reduce foodborne pathogen contamination. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of coating and packaging materials, isopropyl alcohol and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), on photocatalytic and antimicrobial activity of nano-TiO2 particles. TiO2 nanoparticles were developed by a Chinese research institute (Nanjing High Technology Nano Material CO., Ltd.) and were mixed with isopropyl alcohol and/or 5% PVA solution. The mixture was then coating on a glass plate before the activities were measured. The reduction in absorption at '= 664 nm by methylene blue (MB) solution was used as an indicator for TiO2 photocatalytic activity and E.coli colony formation was used for TiO2 antimicrobial activity under UV-light. Our results show that the absorption of MB solution was reduced by 41.3% when only nano-TiO2 powder was tested. However, TiO2-isopropyl alcohol mixture resulted in 36.9% reduction and TiO2-PVA mixture resulted in only 12.1% reduction in the absorption. For the antimicrobial activity, TiO2-isopropyl alcohol coating film resulted in 95% reduction in E.coli colony formation under UV-light compared with the dark control. These results indicate that coating and packaging materials could reduce the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanoparticles. TiO2-isopropyl alcohol mixture could be used to coat food packaging materials and reduce microbial growth on the treated surface.

Technical Abstract: Food safety or foodborne pathogen contamination is a major concern in food industry. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a photocatalyst and can inactivate a wide spectrum of microorganisms under UV illumination. There is significant interest in the development of TiO2-coated or –incorporated food packaging materials to reduce foodborne pathogen contamination. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of coating and packaging materials, isopropyl alcohol and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), on photocatalytic and antimicrobial activity of nano-TiO2 particles. TiO2 nanoparticles were developed by a Chinese research institute (Nanjing High Technology Nano Material CO., Ltd.) and were mixed with isopropyl alcohol and/or 5% PVA solution. The mixture was then coating on a glass plate before the activities were measured. The reduction in absorption at '= 664 nm by methylene blue (MB) solution was used as an indicator for TiO2 photocatalytic activity and E.coli colony formation was used for TiO2 antimicrobial activity under UV-light. Our results show that the absorption of MB solution was reduced by 41.3% when only nano-TiO2 powder was tested. However, TiO2-isopropyl alcohol mixture resulted in 36.9% reduction and TiO2-PVA mixture resulted in only 12.1% reduction in the absorption. For the antimicrobial activity, TiO2-isopropyl alcohol coating film resulted in 95% reduction in E.coli colony formation under UV-light compared with the dark control. These results indicate that coating and packaging materials could reduce the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanoparticles. TiO2-isopropyl alcohol mixture could be used to coat food packaging materials and reduce microbial growth on the treated surface.