Polyphenols functionalized MOF encapsulated BPQDs for synergistic photothermal/photodynamic antibacterial properties and multifunctional food preservation

Active antibacterial materials play an important role in solving food safety problems caused by pathogen contamination. In this study, a composite active antibacterial material with the synergistic antibacterial effectiveness of photothermal, photodynamic and the surface charge of polyphenols was developed, where the multi-porous polyphenol functionalized metal–organic frameworks (ZIF-8-TA) were used as the framework carrier, and black phosphorus quantum dots (BPQDs) were used as the photosensitive source. The resulted ZIF-8-TA/PBQDs possesses excellent photothermal conversion efficiency (27.92%), photodynamic performance and surface charge, and these factors ensure the outstanding broad-spectrum antibacterial performance (100%). Multifunctional characteristics and excellent biocompatibility endow the materials with vast potential for foodstuff packaging. The results showed that the composite antibacterial film produced by doping ZIF-8-TA/PBQDs into chitosan could effectively prolong the shelf life of foodstuff compared with commercial membrane. The successful implementation of this research provides a new idea for controlling microbial contamination and developing multifunctional antibacterial materials.