Photoluminescent Recognition of Strong Alcoholic Beverages with Carbon Nanoparticles.

A simple sensitive method for nonspecific recognition of armagnac, cognac, whiskey, and ethanol/water mixture was developed by using photoluminescence (PL) of carbon nanoparticles (NPs). The carbon NPs were synthesized from the mixture of urea and anhydrous citric acid, followed by few annealing processes to achieve the full effect by solvothermal carbonization. PL features of carbon NPs depend on the alcohol environments in which the NPs are dispersed.