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Agricultural products are perishable and easily contaminated by spoilage microorganisms or foodborne pathogens, causing decay of food and illness in consumers. Chlorine dioxide (ClO2) has many advantages as a fungicide in comparison to chlorine, NaClO, and ozone, and it can be used for sterilization and preservation due to its strong oxidizing properties. ClO2 gas is more widely used in food safety and food preservation than its aqueous solutions. However, the ClO2 gas produced on a large scale from a chemical reactor cannot be applied to food in small packages. Several recent reports have discussed the use of ClO2 self-releasing packaging. This article highlights the systematic evaluation of the performance of ClO2 alone and in combination with other treatments, such as 1-MCP, chitosan, and UV irradiation, in maintaining food safety and freshness of agricultural products. This article also focuses on the biological functions and mechanisms of ClO2-mediated preservation of plant or animal food, including damage to the cell wall and the membrane of pathogens, inhibition of ethylene biosynthesis, restoration of redox balance, and change of the compound structure of toxins, such as pesticides, insecticides, and mycotoxins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  Based on the mass transfer theory, a new mass transfer model of ion-exchange process on zeolite under liquid film diffusion control is established, and the kinetic curves and the mass transfer coefficients of $${\rm NH}_{4}^{}$$ –K ion-exchange under different conditions were systemically determined using the shallow-bed experimental method. The results showed that the $${\rm NH}_{4}^{}$$ –K ion-exchange rates and transfer coefficients are directly proportional to solution flow rate and temperature, and inversely proportional to solution viscosity and the size of zeolite granules. It also showed that the transfer coefficient is not influenced by the ion concentrations. For a large ranges of operational conditions including temperatures (10 − 75°C), flow rates (0.031 m s−1 −0.26 m s−1), liquid viscosities (1.002 ×  10−3 N s m−2 − 4.44 ×  10−3 N s m−2), and zeolite granular sizes (0.2 − 1.45 mm), the average mass transfer coefficients calculated by the model agree with the experimental results very well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary  A new 4-vinyl benzyl tetra-coordinate silicate (VBTCS) was synthesized from a promising highly reactive penta-coordinate potassium glycolato silicate compound through a facile and one-step reaction. FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and elemental analysis identified the structure of the 4-vinyl benzyl tetra-coordinate silicate. This new monomer was homopolymerized and copolymerized with styrene and butylmethacrylate, respectively. FT-IR, TG, DSC and GPC characterized polymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sprouting and glycoside alkaloid induction usually occur in potato tubers, which are the main challenges in potato tuber storage. Essential oils bear the potential to inhibit potato sprouting, but their high volatility and instability limit their application. In this study, citronella essential oil (CEO) hydrogels were prepared by the ionic gelation method to enhance the sprout inhibition effect. The optimal conditions for the preparation of CEO hydrogels were sodium alginate (SA) concentration of 1.56%, CaCl2 concentration of 2.26%, core-to-wall ratio of 2.02:1, and Tween-80 concentration of 0.15%. The SEM, FT-IR, XRD, and DSC images demonstrated that the CEO had been successfully encapsulated in hydrogels with improved thermal stability. CEO hydrogel slowly releases CEO within 1 week for sustained sprout inhibition. At 16 days of storage at 25 °C, the sprouting rate of the CEO hydrogel-treated potatoes was 42.06%, while that of the control check (CK) group was 100.00%, and at 180 days of storage at 3 °C, the sprouting rate was 10.83% in the treated potato tubers, while that of the CK group was 58.33%. The potato tubers treated with CEO hydrogel at either 3 or 25 °C maintained better quality. This indicated that CEO hydrogel can be used as a new potential potato sprout inhibitor in potato tubers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]