Carbon Quantum Dots: A Green and Efficient Material for Fruits and Vegetables Preservation
Zhenbin Liu, Fengguang Yang, Guoqiang Zhang, Yu‐Mei Liao, Min Cui, Hongbo Li, Liangbin Hu, Haizhen Mo
Abstract
Fruits and vegetables deteriorate easily in quality due to their high water content and active metabolic processes, leading to significant economic losses. The development of novel, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective preservation technologies is highly required. This paper provides a comprehensive review about one novel promising preservation technology – carbon quantum dots (CQDs), includes their synthesis methods, physicochemical properties, and applications on fruits and vegetables. The synthesis methods of CQDs includes “Top-down” strategies and “Bottom-up” strategies. CQDs illustrate excellent antibacterial, antioxidant, UV-blocking, and potential ethylene-regulating capabilities, making them promising candidates for enhancing the shelf life of fruits and vegetables. Additionally, CQDs may also be used as intelligent indicators for real-time monitoring of the freshness of fruits and vegetables. We also discussed the safety of CQDs and pointing out the future research directions, such as clarifying the ethylene removal mechanism and combining with nanotechnology to extend application effect of CQDs. This review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the potential applications of CQDs in extending the shelf life and improving the quality of fruits and vegetables.