Selective detection of trichloroanisole and other flavour contaminants in wines using molecularly imprinted polymer technology

Abstract

Spoilage through organoleptic taint represents a significant source of financial loss to the
wine industry. The musty or mouldy flavours associated with the presence of chlorinated aromatic compounds such as trichloroanisole (TCA) and trichlorophenol (TCP) in contaminated corks have particularly low thresholds that renders the wine unpalatable.
Molecular imprinting is an emerging technology that enables a target molecule to be selectively sorbed from a solution by trapping them in tailored cavities within a bulk polymer matrix. Research was undertaken to assess the viability of developing covalently and non-covalently imprinted polymers selective for TCA and TCP. The project aims to initiate future development of sensory devices to identify and quantify the levels of these contaminants corkwood and wine.

Summary

TCA and TCP can be successfully imprinted in a range of solvents however target monomer interactions could not be unequivocally defined due to weak nature of interactions and a collapse of selectivity with change in solvent.