fourier transform infrared &#40;ftir&#41; and uv&#45;visible characterization of curcuma longa extract for textile authentication

Use of Chitosan to Enhance Photoluminescence of Curcumin for Textile Authentication

Counterfeiting is considered a scourge in widespread industries across the globe. The rapid surge of counterfeit products in the market causes economic havoc, which impedes the livelihood of the primary inventor1,2,3,4,5,6. This was brought to the fore in 20207&#160;on the ongoing concern of emerging counterfeit products as evidenced by the increasing trend of publications consisting of the keyword anticounterfeiting or counterfeiting in their titles. A significant increase can be observed in counterfeit-related publications since last reported in 2019, suggesting that considerable efforts are being made to combat the production and distribution of fraudulent goods. On the other hand, it can also be quite alarming, given that it signifies the progression of the counterfeiting industry, which is expected to persist if not addressed effectively. The textile industry is not insulated from this problem, as the presence of counterfeit textile products has severely impacted the livelihood of genuine sellers, manufacturers and weavers, among others3,8. For instance, the textile industry in West Africa was long considered one of the leading export markets in the world. However, it was reported9&#160;that approximately 85% of the market share is held by smuggled textiles that infringe upon West African textile trademarks. The effects of counterfeiting have also been reported in other continents like Asia, America, and Europe, indicating that this crisis has reached an uncontrollable level and poses a significant threat to the already struggling textile industry2,3,4,10,11,12.
With the rapid advancements of science, technology, and innovation, researchers took upon the role of developing functional materials for the purpose of anti-counterfeiting applications. The use of covert technology is one of the most common and effective approaches to counteract the production of fraudulent goods. It involves utilizing photoluminescent materials as security dyes that exhibit a specific light emission when irradiated by different wavelengths13,14. However, some photoluminescent dyes available in the market may impose toxicity at high concentrations, thereby posing threats to human health and the environment15,16.
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is an essential plant used in myriad applications such as paints, flavoring agents, medicine, cosmetics, and fabric dyes17. Present in the rhizomes are naturally occurring phenolic chemical compounds called curcuminoids. These curcuminoids include curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin, among which curcumin is the main constituent responsible for the vibrant yellow to orange coloration and the properties of turmeric18. Curcumin, otherwise known as 1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione19,20&#160;with an empirical formula of C21H20O6, has attracted a significant amount of attention in the biomedical and pharmaceutical fields due to its antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and antioxidant properties17,18,21,22,23. Interestingly, curcumin also possesses spectral and photochemical characteristics. Particularly noteworthy is its intense photoluminescent properties when subjected to ultraviolet (UV) excitations which have been explored only by a few studies19,24,25. Given these characteristics, in tandem with its hydrophobic nature and non-toxic properties, curcumin emerges as an ideal colorant for authentication markings.
The extraction of curcumin from turmeric was first reported in the early 1800s. Over the past centuries, numerous extraction methodologies and techniques have been devised and improved to achieve higher yield26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33. Conventional solvent extraction is a widely used approach as it employs organic solvents such as ethanol, methanol, acetone, and hexane among others, to isolate curcumin from turmeric34,35. This method has evolved through modifications, coupled with more advanced techniques such as microwave-assisted extraction (MAE)18,36,37, Soxhlet extraction38,39, enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE)39,40, and ultrasonic extraction36, among others to increase the yield. Generally, the solvent extraction method has been applied for natural dye extraction due to its versatility, low energy requirement, and cost-effectiveness making it ideal for scalable industries such as textiles.
Curcumin has been integrated as natural dyes for textiles due to its distinct yellow hue. However, the poor adsorption of natural dyes unto textile fibers pose as a challenge that hinders its commercial viability41. Mordants, such as metals, polysaccharides, and other organic compounds, serve as common binders to strengthen the affinity of natural dyes unto the fabric. Chitosan, a polysaccharide derived from crustaceans, has been widely utilized as an alternative mordanting agent due to its abundance in nature, biocompatibility, and wash durability42. This study reports a facile and straight forward approach in preparing curcumin-based authentication marking. Crude curcumin extracts were obtained via sonication-assisted solvent extraction method. The photoluminescent properties of the extracted curcumin were comprehensively investigated on textile substrates and further enhanced with the introduction of chitosan as a mordanting agent. This demonstrates the significant potential as a naturally derived photoluminescent dye for authentication applications.

Author Spotlight: Eco-friendly Photoluminescent Textile Authentication with Curcumin

Enhanced Photoluminescence of Curcuma longa Extracts via Chitosan-Mediated Energy Transfer for Textile Authentication Applications

Several curcumin researches focus on medical and cosmetic applications. Very few have delved into its photo luminescent properties. In this study, we demonstrate a facile, cost-effective, and eco-friendly approach to enhance the photoluminescent emission of curcumin dyes, geared towards the development of covert markings for textile application.Current developments revolve around the preparation of diverse luminescent materials, such as inorganic quantum dots, carbon dots, perovskites, and synthetic organic dyes. Recent technological advances in the development of photoluminescent materials usually centralize along its industrial applications, such as LEDs. What's interesting is that these same photoluminescent materials from organic pigments to inorganic phosphorus and quantum dots are also feasible precursors for anti-counterfeiting applications when given the proper experimental design.The primary challenge in our experiment is ensuring the quality of the result we collected. We've optimized the experiment procedures to not only maintain data accuracy, but also to do so efficiently, enabling simple replications for fellow researchers interested in textiles and photoluminescence. To bind curcumin to textiles, traditional metallic mordants like iron, aluminum, and copper are used.However, metals in post-dying waste water effluence may impose environmental risk. This study utilizes chitosan, a byproduct from crabs and shrimps as alternative mordant for securing curcumin into the fabric, providing excellent color fastness properties.

Fourier Transform Infrared &#40;FTIR&#41; and UV&#45;Visible Characterization of Curcuma longa Extract for Textile Authentication

To begin FTIR characterization of curcuma longa extract, first clean the ATR crystal with two propanol. Then use the measure option on the instrument, and click on the basic tab. With a Pasture pipet, apply 0.3 milliliters of crude curcuma longa extract onto the ATR crystal.Now, click on measure, followed by advanced, and set the file name. Then press the basic tab, and measure the IR transmittance of the dried extract. To perform UV visible measurement of the extract, first keep the spectrophotometer on for 15 to 30 minutes, then fill the reference cell with ethanol.Next, click on the setup option and the carry tab to set the measurement parameters. Set the scan time to 0.1 seconds, data interval to one nanometer, and the scan rate of 600 nanometers per minute. Then set the wavelength range from 200 nanometers to 700 nanometers.Prepare 25 milliliters dilutions of curcuma longa extract in increments of one to 100, with ethanol as the solvent. After transferring 3.5 milliliters of the diluted extract into a quartz cuvette, measure its absorbance. After the first measurement, clean the cuvette with ethanol.Thoroughly rinse the cuvettes with the diluted extract, then fill it with the test solution to ensure the accuracy of absorption measurements. FTIR analysis of the extract showed significant peaks at various lengths corresponding to its functional groups. UV analysis showed a broad absorption spectrum, ranging from 350 to 500 nanometers.The positive correlation between the absorbance and the concentration showed good linearity.

Research

JoVE Journal

Chemistry

Dyes for security markings play a pivotal role in safeguarding the integrity of products across various fields, such as textiles, pharmaceuticals, food, ...