Smart and safe packaging

In line with the latest innovations in the packaging field, this joint project aims at implementing new and innovative micro- and nanoparticles for the development of active and intelligent packaging solutions dedicated to food and medical packaging applications. More specifically, the project combines two major developments which both falls within the scope of active and intelligent packaging. In this work, a specific focus was given to the development of an antibacterial packaging solution and to the development of smart gas sensors. The antibacterial strategy developed was based on the combination of two active materials - silver nanowires and cellulose nanofibrils - to prepare antibacterial surfaces. The formulation as an ink and the deposition processing has been deeply studied for different surface deposition processes that include coatings or screen-printing. Results showed surfaces that display strong antibacterial activity both against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, but also interesting properties for active packaging applications such as a highly retained transparency or enhanced barrier properties. Regarding the second strategy, gas sensors have been prepared using a combination of Copper benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate Metal Organic Framework and carbon-graphene materials, deposited on flexible screen-printed electrodes. The easy-to-produce and optimized sensors exhibit good performances toward ammonia and toward humidity sensing, proving the versatility and the great potential of such solution to be adapted for different target applications. The results of this project lead to innovative solutions that can meet the challenges raised by the packaging industry.