A food freshness sensor using the multistate response from analyte-induced aggregation of a cross-reactive poly(thiophene).

A single cross-reactive conjugated polymer generates a multidimensional response capable of identifying and differentiating between 22 structurally similar and biologically relevant amines with 97% accuracy in a highly competitive aqueous environment. Statistical analysis on an array of wavelengths was used to assess the viability of this approach. In a separate investigation, the multidimensional response from a single cross-responsive poly(thiophene) has been analyzed using a different ratiometric method to quantify the amount of biogenic amine present in a fish matrix, thereby evaluating the quality of the food.