Insights into the interfacial transfer impedance behavior of moisture and dynamics of sorption diffusion in dried tobacco leaves surface.

Moisture sorption and diffusion processes of plant fiber materials have a significant impact on their properties and product quality in healthcare, food production, cigarette processing, textile field, and papermaking industry. The infiltration process affects the rate of water sorption and processing of flavoring liquids, and exploring its mechanisms can optimize the production process. Here, multi-scale imaging approach was employed to identify the heterogeneous structure of plant leaves and the impact of multilevel fiber structure and pore channels on water adsorption. The dissipative changes and mechanisms of water adsorption, osmotic diffusion, and hygroscopic swelling in plant leaves were illustrated. Furthermore, the effects of temperature and water activity on water diffusion under different environmental conditions are determined through a comparison of adsorption equilibrium and diffusion electrochemical impedance analysis (EIS), with a focus on the water-blocking effect of the waxy layer interface. This work investigated the correlation between the impedance change in water transport and the natural layered water-blocking polymer film structure and multi-level pore structure. This study sheds new light on biological multi-scale fiber materials and these findings are important reference value for manufacturing processes to improve the moisturizing properties of functional plant fibers in the field of food preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]