Enhanced aqueous stability and long-acting antibacterial of silver-based MOFs via chitosan-crosslinked for fruit fresh-keeping

[Display omitted] •A novel fabrication strategy of one-pot method for water stability MOFs was prepared.•The Ag-MOFs@CS has excellent aqueous stability and long-acting antibacterial.•Compared with Ag-MOFs, eco-friendly Ag-MOFs@CS has a lower release of silver irons.•Ag-MOFs@CS suspension has excellent fruit-keeping performance. Silver-based MOFs (Ag-MOFs) is a kind of excellent antimicrobial agent, but the application is limited in fresh-keeping due to its poor aqueous stability and short antibacterial time. Herein, we have developed a novel one-pot synthesis method to enhance aqueous stability and long-acting antibacterial of silver-based MOFs by crosslinking Ag-MOFs and chitosan. The water stability of Ag-MOFs@CS is based on the cross-linking of Ag-MOFs and active groups (amino and hydroxyl) in CS. Compared with Ag-MOFs, the aqueous stability of chemical structure, antibacterial time and validity of Ag-MOFs@CS are well enhanced. Ag-MOFs@CS can be maintained for more than 168 h in water environment, while Ag-MOFs can only be maintained for 6 h. In addition, the Ag-MOFs@CS suspension can still maintain good antibacterial properties after being placed for 100 days of storage. Specifically, spraying Ag-MOFs@CS suspension could effectively extend the shelf life of pitaya for 14 days, while the untreated pitaya has mold on the 7th day. Therefore, this research provides the possibility to solve the problem of Ag-MOFs in practical applications, which illustrates this cost-effective and eco-friendly product holds immense potential value for fruit fresh-keeping application.