Plant protein nanogel–based patchy Janus particles with tunable anisotropy for perishable food preservation
Abstract
Abstract Janus particles with anisotropic surfaces possess considerable potential for biological functionalization. However, little is known about the effect of surface anisotropy of Janus particles on the shelf life of perishable food. Herein, plant protein–based nanogels prepared by acylated rapeseed protein isolate (ARPI) are exploited as novel building blocks to decorate the surface of latex particles for Janus particle synthesis. The surface anisotropy of patchy latex particles can be facilely tailored via the suspension polymerization of the Pickering emulsion using ARPI nanogels as stabilizers. The surface distribution of ARPI nanogel on latex particles can be controlled by varying the aqueous phase conditions, and thus, the tunable hydrophilic–lipophilic balance (viz., Janus balance) varied from 0.78 to 1.76 for resulting patchy latex particles. Patchy latex particles with varied Janus balance were further investigated for the effects of their anti‐perishable coatings on perishable fruit preservation. The anisotropic patchy latex particles can act as a novel type of antibacterial agent to inhibit Ascomycota microorganisms’ growth on the surface of fruits and reduce the dehydration and respiration of fruits, all of which devote to a lengthened shelf life while being safe. Furthermore, it is found that the patchy latex particle with a spatial pattern of a hydrophobic area on its surface occupying 51.3% (Janus balance = 0.95) extends the shelf life of perishable food more effectively than that of other spatial arrangements. Overall, the exploration of anisotropic Janus particles offers an alternative strategy to preserve perishable food without using antimicrobial agents.