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A Self-Healing Nanofiber-Based Self-Responsive Time-Temperature Indicator for Securing a Cold-Supply Chain.

Sejin ChoiYoungho EomSeon-Mi KimDa-Woon JeongJongmin HanJun Mo KooSung Yeon HwangJeyoung ParkDongyeop X Oh
Published in: Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) (2020)
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.
Keyphrases
  • room temperature
  • high glucose
  • diabetic rats
  • physical activity
  • oxidative stress
  • cancer therapy
  • drug induced
  • body mass index
  • ionic liquid
  • mental health
  • weight loss