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Published on: April 18, 2013
Effective visualization assay for alcohol content sensing and methanol differentiation with solvent
Li Zhang1, Hetong Qi, Yuexiang Wang
1Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) , Beijing 100190, China.
This study presents a new assay for detecting alcohol content and identifying methanol in beverages using a responsive material. The method allows for visual detection and quantification, aiding in counterfeit beverage identification.
Area of Science:
- Supramolecular Chemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
- Materials Science
Background:
- Developing rapid and reliable methods for on-site alcohol content sensing and beverage authenticity verification is crucial.
- Existing methods may lack the sensitivity or specificity required for detecting adulterants like methanol.
- Supramolecular Ionic Materials (SIMs) offer unique properties for stimuli-responsive applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel visualization assay for on-spot alcohol content sensing.
- To discriminate methanol-containing beverages using a solvent stimuli-responsive SIM.
- To establish a simple and effective method for alcohol quantification and counterfeit detection.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of a supramolecular ionic material (SIM) from imidazolium-based dication C10(mim)2 and dianionic 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS).
- Encapsulation of rhodamine 6G (Rh6G) within the SIM (Rh6G-SIM) and utilization of its ethanol-induced release for visualization.
- Quantification of alcohol content via fluorescence measurement of released Rh6G on thin-layer chromatography (TLC) plates.
Main Results:
- The SIM exhibits water stability, solvent stimuli-responsiveness, and adaptive encapsulation capabilities.
- Addition of ethanol to Rh6G-SIM dispersions causes structural disruption and Rh6G release, leading to visible color changes.
- A linear relationship was observed between Rh6G fluorescence intensity on TLC plates and alcohol content (15–40% vol).
- The assay successfully visualized alcohol content in commercial spirits and differentiated methanol-adulterated beverages.
Conclusions:
- The developed visualization assay provides a simple, rapid, and effective method for on-spot alcohol content sensing.
- The assay demonstrates a reliable approach for identifying methanol adulteration in beverages.
- This SIM-based approach holds potential for practical applications in food safety and quality control.
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