Fabrication of a photonic crystal sensor on a plant membrane

Ethanol, as a food additive, can effectively extend product shelf-life and improve food texture. However, its dosage requires stringent control, making ethanol quantification a critical quality assurance requirement in baked goods. Consequently, developing a rapid and simple method for detecting ethanol in baked food products is of great practical significance. This study fabricated a three-dimensional photonic crystal (PC) membrane by integrating plant membranes and a PC, utilizing an onion epidermal membrane as the natural substrate. PC arrays were imprinted onto the onion membrane at room temperature. The resulting onion-derived PC membrane biosensor demonstrated not only high sensitivity but also excellent selectivity towards ethanol. During detection, the spectral reflection peak of the onion-PC film shifted towards the red as the ethanol concentration increased, achieving signal stabilization within 5 min. Moreover, ethanol detection induced visually observable structural color changes (yellow-green to orange-red) on the membrane. The biosensor exhibited excellent practicability and retained stable performance after multiple reuse cycles. Overall, this onion-PC membrane demonstrates significant potential for the visual and rapid detection of ethanol in baked foods.