Reusability Enhancement of Taste Sensor Using Lipid Polymer Membranes by Surfactant Cleaning Treatment

The aim of our study was to enhance the reusability of a taste sensor by increasing the efficiency of the cleaning process. In this paper, we proposed a surfactant cleaning method for two types of bitterness sensor using lipid polymer membranes with high hydrophobicity. To select suitable surfactants for cleaning, the usability of four types of surfactant with different polarities and ionicities was evaluated. Among these surfactants, the anionic surfactant linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) showed no impact on the initial membrane potential and completely removed residue substances of high-concentration quinine hydrochloride adsorbed on the bitterness sensor used for hydrochloride salts. On the other hand, the amphoteric surfactant lauryl dimethylaminoacetic acid (LDA) showed no impact on the initial membrane potential and almost completely removed residue substances of high-concentration iso-α acid adsorbed on the bitterness sensor used for acidic bitter materials. Moreover, we found that the combined use of the conventional cleaning solution and LDA acid solution in turn greatly improved the reusability of an astringency sensor in multiple measurements of black tea.