A recent report regarding the potential for the use of Rhodium metal for food safety practices sounds interesting though its precise impact cannot be predicted now. Characteristic colors exhibited by the Rhodium complexes in presence of gases like oxygen, nitrogen or carbon monoxide may enable food scientists to incorporate such composite materials inside the packaging and if there is any color change when the consumer is buying these packs, it might be a sure sign of tampering of the packet or if a nitrogen packed food packet changes color to one that is not characteristic of nitrogen-Rhodium complex, it might mean that there was a leak of this protective gas endangering the contents. Here is a take on this new development.
"Modified metals that change colour in the presence of particular gases could warn consumers if packaged food has been exposed to air or if there's a carbon monoxide leak at home. This finding could potentially influence the production of both industrial and commercial air quality sensors. "We initially found out by accident that modified rhodium reacts in a colorful way to different gases," says Cathleen Crudden, a professor in the Department of Chemistry. "That happy accident has become a driving force in our work with rhodium." Rhodium that is modified using carbon, nitrogen or hydrogen–based complexes changes to yellow in the presence of nitrogen, deep blue in the presence of oxygen, and brown in the presence of carbon monoxide. This color change occurs because of the way that the gases bind to the compound's central metal, according to the researchers. Another remarkable aspect of this discovery is that the chemical changes take place without disrupting the exact placement of each individual atom in the compound's crystalline lattice. Dr. Crudden notes that this type of transformation is virtually unprecedented. Rhodium is the main metal used in the production of catalytic converters to reduce the toxicity of car exhaust emissions. Dr. Crudden's team, including graduate student Eric Keske and postdoctoral fellow Dr. Olena Zenkina, is currently investigating whether cobalt, a significantly cheaper metal than rhodium, reacts similarly".
Lot needs to be done in converting this new idea into a commercial application mode and if the findings are really reliable, it is a question of time before Rhodium complex containing printing inks or strips are designed for incorporating into food packs. The limitation is mainly about the effect of Rhodium ions leaching into the food and the effect of such migration on human health. Another road block could be the exorbitant cost of this metal and it is unlikely that low cost food product packs could afford it. If Nickel is as efficient as Rhodium, this line of investigation may get a fillip.
V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com
"Modified metals that change colour in the presence of particular gases could warn consumers if packaged food has been exposed to air or if there's a carbon monoxide leak at home. This finding could potentially influence the production of both industrial and commercial air quality sensors. "We initially found out by accident that modified rhodium reacts in a colorful way to different gases," says Cathleen Crudden, a professor in the Department of Chemistry. "That happy accident has become a driving force in our work with rhodium." Rhodium that is modified using carbon, nitrogen or hydrogen–based complexes changes to yellow in the presence of nitrogen, deep blue in the presence of oxygen, and brown in the presence of carbon monoxide. This color change occurs because of the way that the gases bind to the compound's central metal, according to the researchers. Another remarkable aspect of this discovery is that the chemical changes take place without disrupting the exact placement of each individual atom in the compound's crystalline lattice. Dr. Crudden notes that this type of transformation is virtually unprecedented. Rhodium is the main metal used in the production of catalytic converters to reduce the toxicity of car exhaust emissions. Dr. Crudden's team, including graduate student Eric Keske and postdoctoral fellow Dr. Olena Zenkina, is currently investigating whether cobalt, a significantly cheaper metal than rhodium, reacts similarly".
Lot needs to be done in converting this new idea into a commercial application mode and if the findings are really reliable, it is a question of time before Rhodium complex containing printing inks or strips are designed for incorporating into food packs. The limitation is mainly about the effect of Rhodium ions leaching into the food and the effect of such migration on human health. Another road block could be the exorbitant cost of this metal and it is unlikely that low cost food product packs could afford it. If Nickel is as efficient as Rhodium, this line of investigation may get a fillip.
V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com
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