Intelligent Responsive Nanostructures Toward Food Preservation: Synergizing Antibacterial Activity and Environmental Regulation

Global food spoilage precipitates monumental economic deficits and persistent public health risks, exposing the acute vulnerabilities of conventional passive preservation modalities reliant on energy-intensive refrigeration and synthetic additives. Intelligent responsive nanostructures (IRNs) offer a transformative paradigm for active food preservation. This review elucidates how IRNs transcend conventional approaches through dual modulation of targeted antibacterial activity and microenvironmental dynamics. Freshness visualization technologies based on colorimetric and fluorescent responses to spoilage biomarkers are delineated. Subsequently, the hierarchical antibacterial mechanisms of IRNs are elaborated, encompassing physical membrane disruption, controlled ion release, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and genetic interference. Crucially, we emphasize the synergistic strategies where lethal mechanisms are coupled with environmental regulation. The construction of active prevention systems is presented, alongside critical biosafety challenges toward sustainable nanoplatforms that autonomously maintain food quality from farm to fork.