Encapsulation of Volatile Monoterpene Fragrances in Mesoporous Organosilica Nanoparticles and Potential Application in Fruit Preservation

In this work, we synthesized mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) and periodic mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles containing bridging groups of ethylene (E-PMO) and phenylene (P-PMO) and compared their adsorption properties using D-limonene (Lim), myrcene (Myr), and cymene (Cym) as model guest molecules. For the selected nanoparticles of ~100 nm in diameter, the loading capacity to the volatile fragrances was in the order of P-PMO < E-PMO < MSN, consistent with the trend of increasing total pore volume. For example, P-PMO, E-PMO, and MSN had a Lim uptake of 42.2 wt%, 47.3 wt%, and 62.7 wt%, respectively, which was close to their theoretical adsorption capacity. Under isothermal thermogravimetric analysis conditions (30 °C, a N2 flow of 1 mL min−1), the lowest fragrance release of ~56% over 24 h was observed for P-PMO, followed by E-PMO (74–80%), and MSN (~89%). The release kinetics of the fragrant molecules from MSN and PMO materials can be well described by first-order and Weibull models, respectively. Moreover, the incorporation of Lim-loaded P-PMO NPs in an aqueous solution of regenerated silk fibroin provided a composite coating material suitable for perishable fruit preservation. The active layer deposited on fruit peels using dip coating showed good preservation efficacy, enabling the shelf-life of mangoes in a highly humid and hot atmosphere (30–35 °C, 75–85% RH) to be extended to 6 days.