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A Self‐Healing Nanofiber‐Based Self‐Responsive Time‐Temperature Indicator for Securing a Cold‐Supply Chain
Author(s) -
Choi Sejin,
Eom Youngho,
Kim SeonMi,
Jeong DaWoon,
Han Jongmin,
Koo Jun Mo,
Hwang Sung Yeon,
Park Jeyoung,
Oh Dongyeop X.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.201907064
Subject(s) - materials science , self healing , nanofiber , timer , polymer , nanotechnology , composite material , process engineering , computer science , computer hardware , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology , engineering , microcontroller
Abstract Perishable foods at undesired temperatures can generate foodborne illnesses that present significant societal costs. To certify refrigeration succession in a food‐supply chain, a flexible, easy‐to‐interpret, damage‐tolerant, and sensitive time‐temperature indicator (TTI) that uses a self‐healing nanofiber mat is devised. This mat is opaque when refrigerated due to nanofiber‐induced light scattering, but becomes irreversibly transparent at room temperature through self‐healing‐induced interfibrillar fusion leading to the appearance of a warning sign. The mat monitors both freezer (−20 °C) and chiller (2 °C) successions and its timer is tunable over the 0.5–22.5 h range through control of the polymer composition and film thickness. The thin mat itself serves as both a temperature sensor and display; it does not require modularization, accurately measures localized or gradient heat, and functions even after crushing, cutting, and when weight‐loaded in a manner that existing TTIs cannot. It also contains no drainable chemicals and is attachable to various shapes because it operates through an intrinsic physical response.