An Integrated Plasmonic Sensing Array for Chemical Fingerprinting and Flavor Profiling in Beverages and Other Liquids

We report a reusable cross-reactive plasmonic sensing system that generates unique optical fingerprints for any liquid mixture. The platform leverages a multiplexed plasmonic chip and droplet microarray methodology for creating 24 orthogonally modified sensors coupled with hyperspectral imaging. We demonstrate the versatility and sensitivity of our platform by distinguishing not only between broad categories of chemically diverse beverages but also between individual products within those categories, capturing subtle chemical variations even within highly dilute samples, such as mineral waters. Capable of rapidly fingerprinting liquid samples and measuring the kinetics of reversible supramolecular interactions underlying those fingerprints, this technology represents a significant advance in cross-reactive liquid-phase sensor arrays. Our portable tool provides a practical solution for QA/QC in beverage production, a platform to extend liquid fingerprint analysis beyond food and drink, and, with array expansion, the potential to profile the complex molecular attributes that shape taste and flavor.