Efficient ethylene removal of silver-exchanged zeolite X for fruit preservation

Ethylene accelerates fruit ripening, leading to significant postharvest losses.This study synthesized silver-exchanged zeolite X (Ag/ZX) via vacuum-assisted ion exchange and evaluated its ethylene removal efficiency and banana preservation performance.Material characterization confirmed preserved zeolite X structure (XRD) with uniform Ag dispersion (EDX mapping, 2.49 wt% Ag loading).The optimal 0.7 mmol Ag/ZX sample demonstrated 90% ethylene removal (0.2 g material, 1000 ppmv CH, 30 C) within 180 min, outperforming pure zeolite X (11%) and lower-Ag samples (30% for 0.1-0.3mmol Ag/ZX).Notably, Ag/ZX exhibited dual adsorption-oxidation functionality, with 0.1 mmol/g ethylene uptake capacity at 0.056 mmol/L initial concentration.The material maintained > 82% efficiency after two regeneration cycles (400 C treatment).In banana storage trials, Ag/ZX delayed ripening by 4 days versus controls, reducing natural weight loss to < 5% after 6 days (vs.12% in controls) and inhibiting mold growth.The results highlight Ag/ZX as a cost-effective, regenerative solution for ethylene control, with direct applications in tropical fruit preservation.