Investigation of polyviologens as oxygen indicators in food packaging

A triggered oxygen indicator, formulated from a combination of electrochrome, titanium dioxide and EDTA, was evaluated for use in modified atmosphere packaging. Methylene blue was not an ideal electrochrome due to its slow reduction to the leuco form and fast subsequent oxidation by oxygen present at low concentrations, >0.1%. Polyviologen electrochromes showed much faster reduction after exposure to UV light. Thionine and 2,2′-dicyano-1,1′-dimethylviologen dimesylate, which have more anodic reduction potentials compared to methylene blue, can be used to produce oxygen indicators with decreased sensitivity to oxygen. These indicators can be used to detect oxygen even when levels increase up to 4.0%.