Z-Scheme ZIF-8/AgPO Heterojunction Photocatalyst for High-Performance Antibacterial Food Packaging Films.

Food spoilage caused by microbial contamination remains a global challenge, driving demand for sustainable antibacterial packaging. Conventional photocatalytic materials suffer from limited spectral response, rapid charge recombination, and insufficient reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation under visible light. Here, a Z-scheme heterojunction was constructed by coupling zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) with AgPO, achieving dual-spectral absorption and spatial charge separation. The directional electron transfer from AgPO's conduction band to ZIF-8 effectively suppresses electron-hole recombination, prolonging carrier lifetimes and amplifying ROS production (·O/·OH). Synergy with Ag release further enhances bactericidal efficacy. Incorporated into a cellulose acetate matrix (CAM), the ZIF-8/AgPO/CAM film demonstrates 99.06% antibacterial efficiency against meat surface microbiota under simulated sunlight, alongside high transparency. This study proposes a Z-scheme heterojunction strategy to maximize ROS generation efficiency and demonstrates a scalable fabrication approach for active food packaging materials, effectively targeting microbial contamination control and shelf-life prolongation.