Applications of nanotechnology in the winemaking process

Abstract

In recent times, nanotechnology is expanding its field of application to very diverse areas. One of the most outstanding uses of nanotechnology in oenology is the incorporation of nanoparticles to sensors of different nature (electrochemical, biological, amperometric or fluorimetric) to improve the analysis of wine components such as polyphenols, organic acids, biogenic amines or sulphur dioxide. An improvement in the performance of the electrodes, increasing their sensitivity, accuracy and selectivity, together with shorter response times and less pre-treatment of the sample are some of the main advantages of using nanoparticles in detection devices. There are many nanomaterials (e.g. carbon nanodots or nanotubes, gold, silver, zinc oxide, iron oxide nanoparticles or nanocomposites) with interesting and varied properties that allow making specific detections and measurements of compounds while developing simpler analysis methodologies. In addition, other utilities of nanotechnology such as the development of electronic tongues, the nano-liquid chromatography, the antimicrobial power of certain nanoparticles and nanocomposites, the removal of yeast lees in sparkling wines through the attachment of magnetic nanoparticles, the usefulness of mesoporous silica nanomaterials as clarifying agents and the possibility of creating molecularly imprinted templates for the selective extraction of specific compounds from wine have been studied.