The
freshness of meat has always been the focus of attention from
consumers and suppliers for health and economic reasons. Usually,
amine vapors, as one of the main components of the gas produced in
the process of meat spoilage, can be used to monitor meat spoilage.
Here, a new ratiometric cataluminescence (CTL) sensor based on energy
transfer was developed to identify amine vapors and monitor meat freshness.
After Tb doping, amine vapors exhibit a dual-wavelength (490 and 555
nm) property of CTL signals when reacted on the surface of Tb-doped
La2O2CO3, and the ratio of I
555 to I
490 (R
555/490) is a unique value for a given analyte
within a wide range of concentrations. To illustrate the new sensor,
15 amine vapors were successfully identified using R
555/490, including homologues and isomers. Besides, this
sensor was used to monitor four meats, and the freshness of meats
can be distinguished by cluster analysis successfully. Moreover, further
discussion of energy-transfer phenomena and influence factors has
facilitating effects on exploring the mechanism of energy transfer
at the gas–solid interface.