Zeolite X Loaded with Ag ⁺ as a Slow Ethylene-Releasing Nanoporous Material to Suppress Potato Sprouting

Nanostructured silver-exchanged zeolites (Ag + -exchanged zeolites) have been widely studied for ethylene (C 2 H 4 ) removal from space and for separation from mixtures. However, the controlled release of C 2 H 4 from Ag + -exchanged zeolites has received little attention. In this study, we propose a novel application of Ag + -zeolite X as a slow C 2 H 4 -releasing nanoporous material to suppress potato sprouting. The adsorption and release behaviors of C 2 H 4 over a series of Ag + -exchanged zeolites with different zeolite framework topologies and Ag loadings were systematically investigated. The characteristics of the zeolites significantly influenced the nature of the introduced Ag species, which in turn affected the adsorption and release behavior of C 2 H 4 . In zeolites with high Ag loadings, Ag species tend to aggregate into large Ag clusters or metallic Ag 0 nanoparticles, which do not work as C 2 H 4 binding sites. Among the Ag + -exchanged zeolites studied, Ag 36 -X, which is zeolite X with a silver ion-exchange rate of 36%, showed high C 2 H 4 adsorption capacities and sustained C 2 H 4 release characteristics. The application of Ag 36 -X in potato packaging demonstrated superior sprout inhibition performance compared to a commercial C 2 H 4 release agent, highlighting the potential of Ag-loaded zeolites as tunable C 2 H 4 release nanoporous materials for postharvest applications.