Meta-Structured Electrospun Nanocomposites with Multi-Modal Sensing and Stimuli-Responsive Preservative Release

The advent of meta-structured electrospun nanocomposites has heralded a paradigm shift in the engineering of multifunctional food packaging systems, enabling the integration of high-fidelity multi-modal sensing with stimuli-responsive actuation mechanisms. In this study, we report the rational design, fabrication, and functional optimization of a hierarchically organized nanocomposite platform engineered via precision electrospinning to exhibit both advanced analyte-recognition capabilities and on-demand, environmentally triggered preservative release. The meta-structured architecture comprises an anisotropic, multi-layered nanofibrous network incorporating conductive polymeric nanodomains, plasmonic nanostructures, and amphiphilic biopolymeric matrices, configured to enable simultaneous transduction of temperature, humidity, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and pH fluctuations within a food storage microenvironment. The nanocomposite scaffold was synthesized through a synergistic co-electrospinning and coaxial electrospinning methodology, yielding spatially compartmentalized fiber morphologies with embedded nano-enabled sensory elements and core–shell micro-reservoirs containing both hydrophilic and lipophilic bioactive agents. Multi-modal sensing was realized via the co-integration of doped polyaniline nanofibers for resistive humidity and pH transduction, gold–silver bimetallic nanoislands for localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR)-based VOC detection, and thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) segments enabling thermal actuation. The stimuli-responsive release kinetics of encapsulated antimicrobial (thymol) and antioxidant (ferulic acid) agents were governed by polymer matrix relaxation, interfacial partitioning, and environmental cue-induced diffusion modulation. Advanced morphological and physicochemical characterizations were performed using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). Thermomechanical behavior and structural integrity under cyclic environmental stressors were elucidated via dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The sensing performance was quantified through response–recovery cycle analysis under controlled analyte exposure, demonstrating sub-ppm detection limits for VOCs and ±۰.۱°C thermal sensitivity. Stimuli-triggered release profiles were modeled via non-Fickian anomalous transport kinetics, revealing tunable lag phases and multi-step release regimes under coupled thermal–humidity–pH perturbations. Biofunctional validation in perishable food models (fresh poultry and minimally processed vegetables) confirmed that the integrated system could dynamically detect spoilage-related environmental markers and actuate localized preservative release, thereby extending microbial shelf life by up to ۷ days without sensory quality deterioration. The confluence of meta-structural design, orthogonal sensing modalities, and precisely gated preservative delivery offers a transformative approach to active–intelligent packaging, with potential scalability to broader sectors including biomedical diagnostics, pharmaceutical preservation, and high-value perishable logistics.

کلیدواژه ها:

Electrospinning ، Meta-Structured Nanocomposite ، Multi-Modal Sensing ، Stimuli-Responsive Release ، Antimicrobial Activity ، Shelf Life Extension