Selective fluorescence-based sensing of short-chain alcohols in food samples using an eco-friendly synthesis of egg white protein–malic acid stabilized copper nanoclusters

Short-chain alcohols are widely used in food and industrial products, yet their uncontrolled presence can compromise food quality and human health, highlighting the need for rapid and reliable detection methods. In this work, a cost-effective and sustainable synthesis of stable copper nanoclusters (CuNCs) using egg white and malic acid was developed. The CuNCs exhibited significant fluorescence enhancement through the aggregation-induced emission enhancement effect in the presence of short-chain alcohols, enabling sensitive detection in aqueous solutions with low detection limits. Based on this behavior, a fluorescence probe was developed for ethanol quantification and successfully applied to alcoholic and carbonated beverages. Furthermore, a prototype ethanol vapor sensor was constructed, demonstrating the feasibility of real-time ethanol detection. The sustainability of the method was assessed using recently developed greenness metrics, confirming its low environmental impact and highlighting the potential of eco-friendly CuNCs as efficient fluorescence probes for detection of short-chain alcohols in food-related applications.