NiFe2O4-rGO/ionic liquid modified carbon paste electrode: An amplified electrochemical sensitive sensor for determination of Sunset Yellow in the presence of Tartrazine and Allura Red

Facile synthesis of amino-modified magnetic covalent organic framework for the efficient extraction and determination of anionic azo dyes in carbonated beverages

In this work, a novel magnetic covalent organic framework (COF (TpPa-NH2) @ Fe3O4) was prepared via two step by simple solvent method for the extraction of anionic azo dye residues in food. The as-prepared COF (TpPa-NH2) @ Fe3O4 nanocomposite was characterised by scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and vibrating sample magnetometer. Before high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV) determination, it was used as magnetic adsorbent for magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) to extract and pre-concentrate three anionic azo dyes in carbonated beverage samples. The several key extraction and desorption parameters affecting the extraction recovery rate were investigated, including extraction time, pH of the solution, amount of material, adsorption time, elution solvent, pH of elution solvent, type of elution solvent, elution volume and elution time. Under optimised conditions, this method has good linearity between 5 and 500 μg L-1 (correlation coefficient > 0.9986). The limit of detection was 2.3-3.4 μg L-1. The recoveries of the samples were between 87.5 and 96.9%, and the relative standard deviation lower than 4.6%. The developed method has broad application prospects for the analysis of anionic azo dyes in carbonated beverages.

Innovative Graphene-Based Nanocomposites for Improvement of Electrochemical Sensors: Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications

Graphene, renowned for its exceptional physicochemical attributes, has emerged as a favored substrate for integrating a wide array of inorganic and organic materials in scientific endeavors and innovations. Electrochemical graphene-based nanocomposite sensors have been developed by incorporating diverse nanoparticles into graphene, effectively immobilized onto electrodes through various techniques. These graphene-based nanocomposite sensors have effectively detected and quantified various electroactive species in samples. This review delves into using graphene nanocomposites to fabricate electrochemical sensors, leveraging the exceptional electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties inherent to graphene derivatives. These nanocomposites showcase electrocatalytic activity, substantial surface area, superior electrical conductivity, adsorption capabilities, and notable porosity, which are highly advantageous for sensing applications. A myriad of characterization techniques, including Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), BET surface area analysis, and X-ray diffraction (XRD), have proven effective in exploring the properties of graphene nanocomposites and validating the adjustable formation of these nanomaterials with graphene. The applicability of these sensors across various matrices, encompassing environmental, food, and biological domains, has been evaluated through electrochemical measurements, such as cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). This review provides a comprehensive overview of synthesis methods, characterization techniques, and sensor applications pertinent to graphene-based nanocomposites. Furthermore, it deliberates on the challenges and future prospects within this burgeoning field.

Nitrogen-doped biomass-derived carbon dots for fluorescence determination of sunset yellow

Sunset Yellow (SY) is a widely used food coloring in the food industry. However, exceeding the allowable limit of this dye poses a significant threat to human health. To address this issue, we developed Lycium ruthenicum-derived nitrogen-doped carbon dots (N-CDs) with a stable blue fluorescence through hydrothermal treatment for SY determination. The quantum yield (QY) of these N-CDs was found to be up to 10.63%. Physical characterization of N-CDs was performed using various spectroscopic techniques to confirm their excellent photostability and non-toxic properties. Furthermore, the presence of SY had a substantial quenching effect on the fluorescence intensity (F0/F) of the N-CDs. Leveraging this observation, we developed a fluorescent sensor for the determination of SY in the concentration range of 0.05 to 35.0 μM, with a limit of detection (LOD, 3σ/K) of 17 nM. The excellent fluorescent sensor also showed satisfactory results in the practical drink samples. Moreover, the stability and cytotoxicity of N-CDs as a fluorescent probe were studied. Finally, the N-CDs were applied to cell imaging using A549 cells.

A comprehensive exploration of tartrazine detection in food products: Leveraging fluorescence nanomaterials and electrochemical sensors: Recent progress and future trends

Azo dyes are widely used as food coloring agents because of their affordability and stability. Examples include brilliant blue, carmoisine, sunset yellow, allura red, and tartrazine (Tar), etc. Notably, Tar is often utilized in hazardous food goods. They are frequently flavoured and combined with food items, raising the likelihood and danger of exposure. Therefore, detecting Tar in food is crucial to prevent health risks. Fluorescence nanomaterials and electrochemical sensors, known for their high sensitivity, affordability, simplicity, and speed, have been widely adopted by researchers for Tar detection. This comprehensive paper delves into the detection of Tar in food products. It extensively covers the utilization of advanced carbon-based nanomaterials, including CDs, doped CDs, and functionalized CDs, for sensitive Tar detection. Additionally, the paper explores the application of electrochemical sensors. The paper concludes by addressing current challenges and prospects, emphasizing efforts to enhance sensitivity, and selectivity for improved food safety.

Individual and Simultaneous Electrochemical Detection of Allura Red and Acid Blue 9 in Food Samples Using a Novel La2YCrO6 Double Perovskite Decorated on HLNTs as an Electrocatalyst

The present study involved the synthesis of La2YCrO6 double perovskites using a sol-gel approach. Additionally, a sonication method was implemented to prepare La2YCrO6 double perovskites decorated on halloysites (La2YCrO6/HLNTs). The La2YCrO6/HLNTs exhibited remarkable conductivity, electrocatalytic activity, and rapid electron transfer. It is imperative to possess these characteristics when overseeing the concurrent identification of Allura red (AR) and acid blue 9 (AB) in food samples. The development of the La2YCrO6/HLNTs was verified through the utilization of diverse approaches for structural and morphological characterization. The electrochemical techniques were employed to evaluate the analytical techniques of La2YCrO6/HLNTs. Impressively, the La2YCrO6/HLNTs demonstrated exceptional sensitivity, yielding the lowest detection limit for AR at 8.99 nM and AB at 5.14 nM. Additionally, the linear concentration range was 10-120 nM (AR and AB). The sensor that was developed exhibited remarkable selectivity, and the feasibility of AR and AB in the food sample was effectively monitored, resulting in satisfactory recoveries.

Development of a Highly Sensitive Electrochemical Sensor Using Sm2CuZrO6 Double Perovskite as an Electrocatalyst for Determination of Risperidone Antipsychotic Drug in Tablet Samples

In this study, the preparation of Sm2CuZrO6 double perovskites was carried out through the utilization of a sol-gel technique. The Sm2CuZrO6 displayed notable conductivity, impressive electrocatalytic activity, and rapid electron transfer. The monitoring of risperidone (RIS) in tablet samples is greatly influenced by these properties. Various techniques for structural and morphological characterization were employed to confirm the formation of Sm2CuZrO6. The electrochemical properties of Sm2CuZrO6 were assessed through utilization of cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV). Interestingly, the Sm2CuZrO6 exhibited a remarkable wide linear range of 50-500 nM, along with a detection limit of 10.62 nM. Notably, it demonstrated a sensitivity of 0.4038 μA μM-1 cm-2. The constructed sensor demonstrated noteworthy selectivity, stability, and repeatability. To assess the practicality of RIS, its performance was monitored in the tablet sample, resulting in satisfactory recoveries.

A modified electrode based on a 3D reduced graphene oxide and MoS2 composite for simultaneous detection of sunset yellow and tartrazine

A 3D reduced graphene oxide (3DrGO) composite loaded with cauliflower-like MoS2 was prepared. Benefiting from the synergistic effects of 3DrGO and cauliflower-like MoS2, a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with the 3DrGO-MoS2 composite (3DrGO-MoS2/GCE) displays high sensing performance for sunset yellow (SY) and tartrazine (TZ) at working potentials of 0.795 and 1.034 V. Furthermore, a well separated oxidation peak potential can achieve simultaneous detection of the two analytes. Under selected conditions, the peak current exhibits a piecewise linear relationship with the SY concentration in the range of 0.05-10 μmol L-1 and 10-60 μmol L-1, and the plot of peak current versus the TZ concentration also exhibits two linear segments in the range of 0.1-6.0 μmol L-1 and 6.0-60 μmol L-1. The detection limits of SY and TZ are as low as 17.6 and 37.4 nmol L-1, respectively. The prepared 3DrGO-MoS2/GCE was applied for the determination of SY and TZ in food samples with excellent recoveries of 95.1-105.4%.

Application of the C-C3N4/Li2CoMn3O8//IL nanocomposite for design a sensitive electrochemical sensor inorder to detection of cetirizine, acetaminophen and phenylephrine in biological and pharmaceuticals samples

Due to the side effects of cetirizine overdose and the need to monitor its concentration in the human body, in this work, an electrochemical sensor has been prepared by utilizing a carbon paste electrode modified with Li₂CoMn₃O₈/CC₃N₄ nanocomposite and ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium chloride ionic liquid ([EMIM][Cl]) to determine cetirizine in the human blood serum sample and urine as well as drug samples. Li₂CoMn₃O₈/CC₃N₄ nanocomposite was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The investigation of the influence of each modifier component showed that the existence of all components in modification has a synergistic effect. Li₂CoMn₃O₈/CC₃N₄/IL nanocomposite has a larger surface area relative to the components alone, thus providing a more fine-grained media to facilitate electron transfer during the reaction between analyte and electrode. Determination of cetirizine was performed in phosphate buffer solution with pH 7.0 and detection limits obtained in the concentration ranges of 0.03-0.9 and 3-300 μM was 11.8 × 10^-9 M. The diffusion coefficient (D = 9.2 × 10^-6 cm²s^-1) of cetirizine at the surface of the modified electrode was determined by chronoamperometry. Finally, simultaneous detection of cetirizine, phenylephrine and acetaminophen was performed using the suggested sensor without any interference.

Engineering MOFs derived metal oxide nanohybrids: Towards electrochemical sensing of catechol in tea samples

In this work, we have successfully developed Cu-MOF/CuO/NiO nanocomposites (NCs) and employed as a novel electrochemical sensing platform in catechol (CC) detection. The Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) along Energy dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDX), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) are carried out to characterize the as-fabricated Cu-MOF/CuO/NiO NCs. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) techniques have used to obtain oxidation peak currents of CC. Glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with Cu-MOF/CuO/NiO has exposed the superb EC properties representing low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.0078 µM (S/N = 3). To assess the practicability of Cu-MOF/CuO/NiO based sensing medium, it has been used to detect CC from two varieties of tea, namely black and green. Thus, we anticipate that this structural integration strategy possesses encouraging application potential in sensing podium and material synthesis.

Detection of Environmental Microfiber Pollutants through Vibrational Spectroscopic Techniques: Recent Advances of Environmental Monitoring and Future Prospects

A robust environmental monitoring system is highly essential for the instant detection of environmental microfiber pollutants for the sustainable management of the environment and human health. The extent of microfiber pollution is growing exponentially across the globe in both terrestrial and marine environments. An immediate and accurate environmental monitoring system is crucial to investigate the composition and distribution of these micropollutants. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Raman Spectroscopy are vibrational spectroscopic techniques that have the novel ability to detect microfibers within a minute concentration from diverse environmental samples. The major micropollutants which have been analyzed are polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon 6, polystyrene, and polyethylene terephthalate. After a detailed and critical study of the various aspects of spectroscopic analysis, the review is concluded with a comprehensive discussion of the significance of these robust methods and their application in future aspects for further preventing microfiber pollution in the marine environment. This study highlights the utilities and significance of vibrational spectroscopic detection techniques for the immediate and accurate identification of synthetic microfibers. This review also evaluated the implementation of spectroscopic methods as a precise tool for the characterization and monitoring of microfiber pollutants in the environment.

Simple Preparation and Characterization of Hierarchical Flower-like NiCo2O4 Nanoplates: Applications for Sunset Yellow Electrochemical Analysis

The current work was performed to construct a novel electrochemical sensing system for determination of sunset yellow via the modification of screen-printed graphite electrode modified with hierarchical flower-like NiCo₂O₄ nanoplates (NiCo₂O₄/SPGE). The prepared material (hierarchical flower-like NiCo₂O₄ nanoplates) was analyzed by diverse microscopic and spectroscopic approaches for the crystallinity, composition, and morphology. Chronoamperometry, differential pulse voltammetry, linear sweep voltammetry, and cyclic voltammetry were used for determination of the electrochemical behavior of sunset yellow. The as-fabricated sensor had appreciable electro-catalytic performance and current sensitivity in detecting the sunset yellow. There were some advantages for NiCo₂O₄/SPGE under the optimized circumstances of sunset yellow determination, including a broad dynamic linear between 0.02 and 145.0 µM, high sensitivity of 0.67 μA/(μM.cm²), and a narrow limit of detection of 0.008 μM. The practical applicability of the proposed sensor was verified by determining the sunset yellow in real matrices, with satisfactory recoveries.

A reusable and sensitive electrochemical sensor for determination of idarubicin in environmental and biological samples based on NiFe2O4 nanospheres anchored N-doped graphene quantum dots composite; an electrochemical and molecular docking investigation

An ultrasensitive and selective voltammetric sensor with ultra-trace level detection limit is introduced for idarubicin (IDA) determination in real samples. The as-synthesized nanocomposite was characterized by several techniques, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The electrocatalytic performance of the developed electrode was observed by cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and chronoamperometry. The limit of detection (LOD) of the developed sensor for idarubicin is 1.0 nM, and the response is found to be in the dynamic concentration range of 0.01-1.9 μmol/L in a Britton-Robinson buffer (B-R, pH = 6.0). Moreover, the fabricated electrode illustrated high selectivity with good repeatability and reproducibility for diagnosing idarubicin as an anthracycline antileukemic drug. Furthermore, to evaluate the validity of the recommended method, three real samples, including human plasma, urine, and water samples, were analyzed with satisfactory recovery and compared with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The minor groove-binding mode of interaction was also supported by docking simulation studies, emphasizing that IDA can bind to ds-DNA preferably and confirmed experimental results. The reduced assay time and the possibility of measuring a single sample with another anticancer drug without any interference are significant advantages compared to the HPLC. The developed and validated sensor could be a valuable point-of-care diagnostic tool for IDA quantification in patients.

Electrochemical determination of dinitolmide in poultry product samples using a highly sensitive Mn2O3/MCNTs-NPs carbon paste electrode aided by greenness assessment tools

In this paper, chemically modified carbon paste Mn₂O₃/MCNTs-NPs electrode for estimation of dinitolmide (DOM) utilizing square wave voltammetry method (SWV) was developed. The study investigated the electrochemical behavior of DOM, and the morphology of the modified electrode was evaluated by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). The voltammetric behavior of DOM at modified electrode was recorded at a scan rate of 100 mVs^-1 against Ag/AgCl reference electrode in phosphate buffer pH 4.0 within linearity range 2-12 µM, LOQ, and LOD of 1.8 and 0.594 µM, respectively, with average % recovery of (100.89 ± 0.795). GAPI and Analytical Eco-Scale tools were applied for greenness assessment. Specificity and interference study was valid for the proposed method; allowing DOM to be determined in its acidic degradation and its major interference drug. The proposed method was successfully employed to quantify DOM in bulk powder, egg, and frozen cuts-up chicken muscle samples.

Cu2+ modified Zr-based metal organic framework-CTAB-graphene for sensitive electrochemical detection of sunset yellow

A sensitive electrochemical sensor for sunset yellow (SY) was constructed based on cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) functionalized graphene (Gr) and Cu/Zr-MOF electrode modified materials. The CTAB-Gr-Cu/Zr-MOF composites were synthesized by using a mild method and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and EDX spectrum. The combination of Cu/Zr-MOF and graphene exhibited synergetic effect of the strong accumulation efficiency, fast electron transfer rate and more sensing sites towards the oxidation of SY. The new modified materials remarkably increased the electrochemical response of SY to 6.53-fold when comparing with bare electrode. Under the optimized conditions, the oxidation peak currents of SY had a linear relationship with its concentration in a wide range from 0.10 to 8.00 μM and 40.00-1000.00 μM, and the limit of detection was 6.68 nM (S/N = 3). The electrochemical method shows high sensitivity, stability, reproducibility and is successfully applied in the determination of SY in soft drinks.

Recent developments on graphene and its derivatives based electrochemical sensors for determinations of food contaminants

The sensing of food contaminants is essential to prevent their adverse health effects on the consumers. Electrochemical sensors are promising in the determination of electroactive analytes including food pollutants, biomolecules etc. Graphene nanomaterials offer many benefits as electrode material in a sensing device. To further improve the analytical performance, doped graphene or derivatives of graphene such as reduced graphene oxide and their nanocomposites were explored as electrode materials. Herein, the advancements in graphene and its derivatives-based electrochemical sensors for analysis of food pollutants were summarized. Determinations of both organic (food colourants, pesticides, drugs, etc.) and inorganic pollutants (metal cations and anions) were considered. The influencing factors including nature of electrode materials and food pollutants, pH, electroactive surface area etc., on the sensing performances of modified electrodes were highlighted. The results of pollutant detection in food samples by the graphene-based electrode have also been outlined. Lastly, conclusions and current challenges in effective real sample detection were presented.

Specific and Sensitive Detection of Tartrazine on the Electrochemical Interface of a Molecularly Imprinted Polydopamine-Coated PtCo Nanoalloy on Graphene Oxide

A novel electrochemical sensor designed to recognize and detect tartrazine (TZ) was constructed based on a molecularly imprinted polydopamine (MIPDA)-coated nanocomposite of platinum cobalt (PtCo) nanoalloy-functionalized graphene oxide (GO). The nanocomposites were characterized and the TZ electrochemical detection performance of the sensor and various reference electrodes was investigated. Interestingly, the synergistic effect of the strong electrocatalytic activity of the PtCo nanoalloy-decorated GO and the high TZ recognition ability of the imprinted cavities of the MIPDA coating resulted in a large and specific response to TZ. Under the optimized conditions, the sensor displayed linear response ranges of 0.003–0.180 and 0.180–3.950 µM, and its detection limit was 1.1 nM (S/N = 3). The electrochemical sensor displayed high anti-interference ability, good stability, and adequate reproducibility, and was successfully used to detect TZ in spiked food samples. Comparison of important indexes of this sensor with those of previous electrochemical sensors for TZ revealed that this sensor showed improved performance. This surface-imprinted sensor provides an ultrasensitive, highly specific, effective, and low-cost method for TZ determination in foodstuffs.

Filter paper-based colorimetric analysis: An instrument-free strategy for semiquantitative naked-eye detection of food colorants

A filter paper-based colorimetric strategy for instrument-independent visual detection of artificial food colorants (FCs) was developed in this study. Indicator papers were prepared via the one-step polycondensation of silane coupling agents onto glass microfiber filter papers, and colorimetric cards with a fine one-to-one correspondence between their colors and FCs concentrations were straightforward obtained by the extraction of FCs with indicator papers by virtue of electrostatic interaction and hydrophobic effect. Filter papers post-modified via such a simple way were proved to be of improved binding class selectivity and colorimetric sensitivity, allowing for in-situ colorimetric assay of FCs in an unprecedently wide range of applicable pH (1.0-12.0) with high reliability and fine versatility. Finally, the semiquantitative naked-eye determination of FCs (Allura red, brilliant blue and sunset yellow) in real-world drink samples was experimentally confirmed to be feasible by comparison with the findings of UV-vis absorption spectra, HPLC and mass spectra.

Hydrothermal synthesis of CuFe2O4 nanoparticles for highly sensitive electrochemical detection of sunset yellow

The sunset yellow, as a synthetic food coloring azo dye, was detected in the present work using a new sensitive and selective sensor based on the modification of screen-printed electrode surface with Copper ferrite nanoparticles (CuFe₂O₄/SPE). Thus, a facile hydrothermal protocol was performed to prepare the CuFe₂O₄ nanoparticles, followed by characterization applying valid techniques, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Chronoamperometry, differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) were employed to determine the electrochemical behavior of as-fabricated sensor. According to the electrochemical findings, a greater anodic peak current was found for the sunset yellow oxidation on the CuFe₂O₄/SPE than that on the unmodified SPE. The electrocatalytic response for the sunset yellow oxidation on the CuFe₂O₄/SPE in phosphate buffer (0.1 M, pH = 7.0) was effective, with an excellent sensitivity (0.1919 μA μM^-1). There was a linear relationship between the voltammetric current and different sunset yellow concentrations (0.03-100.0 μM). The calculated limit of detection (LOD = 3Sb/m) for the sunset yellow was 0.009 μM.

Recent advances in carbon nanomaterials-based electrochemical sensors for food azo dyes detection

Azo dyes as widely applied food colorants are popular for their stability and affordability. On the other hand, many of these dyes can have harmful impacts on living organs, which underscores the need to control the content of this group of dyes in food. Among the various analytical approaches for detecting the azo dyes, special attention has been paid to electro-analytical techniques for reasons such as admirable sensitivity, excellent selectivity, reproducibility, miniaturization, green nature, low cost, less time to prepare and detect of specimens and the ability to modify the electrode. Satisfactory results have been obtained so far for carbon-based nanomaterials in the fabrication of electrochemical sensing systems in detecting the levels of these materials in various specimens. The purpose of this review article is to investigate carbon nanomaterial-supported techniques for electrochemical sensing systems on the analysis of azo dyes in food samples in terms of carbon nanomaterials used, like carbon nanotubes (CNT) and grapheme (Gr).

Determination of D&C Red 33 and Patent Blue V Azo dyes using an impressive electrochemical sensor based on carbon paste electrode modified with ZIF-8/g-C3N4/Co and ionic liquid in mouthwash and toothpaste as real samples

Synthetic azo dyes are widely used in a variety of industries, but many of them pose a risk to human health, particularly when consumed in large quantities. As a result, their existence in products should be closely monitored. D&C red 33 and Patent Blue V are mostly used in cosmetics, especially in toothpaste and mouthwashes. A novel carbon paste electrode modified with ZIF-8/g-C3N4/Co nanocomposite and 1-methyl-3-butylimidazolium bromide as an ionic liquid was employed as a highly sensitive reproducible electrochemical sensor for the simultaneous determination of these common dyes. ZIF structure has unique properties such as high surface area, suitable conductivity, and excellent porosity. The electrochemical behavior of the suggested electrode was investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). To characterize the synthesized nanocomposites, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were applied to investigate the structure of nanocomposites. Under the optimized conditions, the modified sensor offered a wide linear concentration range 0.08-10 μM (R2 = 0.9906) and 10-900 μM (R2 = 0.9932) with a low limit of detection of 0.034 μM. The value of diffusion coefficient (D), and the electron transfer coefficient (α) was calculated to be 310 × 10-5, and 0.9 respectively. This technique offered a successful performance for the determination of target analyte in the real samples with acceptable results between 96% and 107%.

Screen-printing of core-shell Mn3O4@C nanocubes based sensing microchip performing ultrasensitive recognition of allura red

Allura red (AR) is a member of azo dyes is commonly used as an additive in foods and soft drinks. However, due to the special harm of the azo structure to the human body, the dosage control of AR becomes particularly necessary. The present detection methods are time-consuming, expensive and complicated. In order to address the above issues, a core-shell nanocubes constructed sensor has been developed to determine the ultrawide detection range and selective recognition of AR with a long-term reusability. The core-shell architecture is composed of carbon material of 12.64 nm thickness covering 600 nm Mn3O4 nanocube. This nanocomposite combines the advantages of Mn3O4@C, possessing high electrocatalysis and chemical stability. As confirmed in using sports drinks as real samples, the as-prepared AR sensor exhibites excellent selectivity with an ultra-wide linear range from 0.1 to 1748.4 μM, and meanwhile, this sensor can also meet the requirements of remarkable anti-interference and reusability over 30 days.

Fabrication and application of three-dimensional nanocomposites modified electrodes for evaluating the aging process of Huangjiu (Chinese rice wine)

In this study, three modified glassy carbon electrodes based on three-dimensional conducting polymer nanocomposites (TDCPNs) were fabricated for evaluating the aging process of Huangjiu (Chinese rice wines). The electrochemical activity and experimental conditions of the TDCPNs modified electrodes were investigated by cyclic voltammetry, the aging information obtained by the modified electrodes were optimized by variance inflation factor (VIF). Principal components analysis (PCA), locally linear embedding (LLE), and locality preserving projection (LPP, which presented the best classification result) based on the optimized data were applied to classify the wine samples. Then, the dimensionality reduction data of PCA, LLE, and LPP were used as input variables of the logistic regression and extreme learning machine (ELM) for evaluating the aging process of Huangjiu, and the LLE-ELM method exhibited the best prediction results. These results demonstrated that the TDCPNs modified electrodes presented the potential for the quality analysis of food and beverages.

Monitoring of atropine anticholinergic drug using voltammetric sensor amplified with NiO@Pt/SWCNTs and ionic liquid

In this work, the synergic impact of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium methyl sulfate (EMMS) and NiO doped Pt decorated SWCNTs (NiO@Pt/SWCNTs) in carbon paste matrix was examined as an analytical tool for investigating electrochemical behavior of atropine. The voltammetric results revealed that NiO@Pt/SWCNTs/EMMS/CPE exhibited an excellent electrocatalytic activity towards redox reaction of atropine in aqueous solution pH = 10.0. The NiO@Pt/SWCNTs/EMMS/CPE offered the best electro-analytical conditions for monitoring of atropine in the concentration range of 4.0 nM-220 μM with an increase in oxidation current about 5.93 times. On the other hand, NiO@Pt/SWCNTs/EMMS/CPE displayed a long time stability (about 60 days) for monitoring of atropine. The ability of NiO@Pt/SWCNTs/EMMS/CPE as an electroanalytical tool for monitoring of atropine was investigated, and the recovery range was detected as to be 97.6%-104.25% for this goal.

Ultrasensitive detection of food colorant sunset yellow using nickel nanoparticles promoted lettuce-like spinel Co3O4 anchored GO nanosheets

Synthetic food colorants are extensively used across the globe regardless of the fact that they induce deleterious side effects when used in higher amounts. In this work, a novel electrochemical sensor based on nickel nanoparticles doped lettuce-like Co₃O₄ anchored graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets was developed for effective detection of sulfonated azo dye sunset yellow widely used as a food colorant. Hydrothermal synthesis was adopted for the preparation of lettuce-like spinel Co₃O₄ nanoparticles and Ni-Co₃O₄ NPs/GO nanocomposite was prepared using ecofriendly and economical sonochemical method. The prepared ternary nanocomposite meticulously fabricated on a screen-printed carbon electrode exhibited remarkable electrocatalytic activity towards sunset yellow determination. This is apparent from the resultant well-defined and intense redox peak currents of Ni-Co₃O₄ NPs/GO nanocomposite modified electrode at very low potentials. The developed sunset yellow sensor exhibited a high sensitivity of 4.16 μA μM^-1 cm^-2 and a nanomolar detection limit of 0.9 nM in the linear range 0.125-108.5 μM. Furthermore, experiments were conducted to affirm excellent stability, reproducibility, repeatability, and selectivity of proposed sensor. The practicality of sunset yellow determination using the developed sensor was analyzed in different varieties of food samples including jelly, soft drink, ice cream, and candy resulting in recovery in the range of 96.16%-102.56%.

Physical and chemical properties of binary mixtures of dibutylammonium-based ionic liquids and water

Ionic liquids are used in different processes owing to their low vapor pressure, large viscosity range, chemical and thermal stability, and superior conductance even without water. These features make them flexible and tunable, indicating their possible use as substitutes for commonly used compounds in many processes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the properties of aqueous binary solutions for three different ionic liquids (ILs): dibutylammonium acetate, dibutylammonium propanoate, and dibutylammonium butanoate. The measured properties were density, speed of sound, and conductivity, and their isentropic compressibility and thermal expansion coefficient were calculated based on these properties. The temperature range used for measurements was 293.15–323.15 K. Mathematical models were used for each ionic liquid + water mixture to fit the density and speed of sound data. The increase in the alkyl chain leads to a tendency to decrease the values of density, speed of sound, and conductivity of the solutions. However, decreasing the dilution in water, the density, the conductivity and the speed of sound initially increase and then decrease, exhibiting a maximum in the initial water concentration range which indicates the formation of aggregates. Critical micellar concentrations at 298 K were determined through conductivity data. Enhancing the temperature leads to a decrease on density and sound velocity.

Novel nanohybrids for effervescence enhanced magnetic solid-phase microextraction of wide-polarity organic pollutants in roasted meat samples

To simultaneously and efficiently extract pollutants with differential polarities, we herein fabricated and characterized a multifunctional nanocomposite. The novel nanohybrids used NiFe₂ O₄ as magnetic cores, and NH₂ -MIL-101(Al), β-cyclodextrin and graphene oxide as functional components combined with magnetic cores. With the aid of graphene oxide's large π-conjugated system, NH₂ -MIL-101(Al)'s strong adsorption to moderately/strongly polar chemicals, and β-cyclodextrin's specific recognition effect, the nanohybrids realized synergistically efficient extraction of polyaromatic hydrocarbons and bisphenols with a log^Kow range of 3-6. Combined with acidic and alkaline sources, the nanohybrids-based effervescent tablets were prepared. Based on effervescent reaction-enhanced nanohybrids-based efficient adsorption/extraction and high performance liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection, we successfully developed an excellent microextraction method for the simultaneous determination of both polyaromatic hydrocarbons and bisphenols in roasted meat samples. Several important variables were optimized as follows: Na₂ CO₃ and tartaric acid as acidic and alkaline sources, 900 μLof the mixed solvent (acetone and hexane at 2:1 by v/v) as the eluent, 5 min of elution time. Under optimized conditions, the novel method gave low limits of detection (0.07-0.30 μg kg^-1 ), satisfactory recoveries (86.9-103.9%), and high precision (relative standard deviations of 1.9-6.7%) in roasted lamb, beef, pork, chicken, and sausage samples.

Latest advances on the nanomaterials-based electrochemical analysis of azo toxic dyes Sunset Yellow and Tartrazine in food samples

Azo-dyes such as Allura Red, Carmoisine, Amaranth, Sunset Yellow (SY), Brilliant Blue, Tartrazine (Tz), etc., are popular as food coloring agents due to their low cost and stability. SY and Tz are the most used members of this group of dyes since they have similar colors and are usually used together in food products. Despite their advantageous industrial use, they exhibit a risk toxicity profile with adverse effects such as allergy, asthma, carcinogenicity, genotoxicity, cytotoxicity, anxiety, etc. Therefore, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) regulate the permissions for using these compounds to provide safe food products for consumers and prevent adverse effects both short and long-term. Considering all of these, for the analysis of azo toxic dyes, highly sensitive, low-cost, simple, and rapid sensors are necessary. Electrochemical nanosensors, which combine the unique features of electrochemistry and nanotechnology, are devices with all these advantages and are widely used for the determination of azo dyes. SY and Tz step forth as the most used food dyes in the class of azo-toxic dyes. They are often preferred together in food products, increasing the occurrence and exposure risk. Therefore, the analysis of Sunset Yellow and Tartrazine in food products has significant importance. In this review, the latest nanomaterial-based approaches for the electrochemical sensors on the analysis of SY and Tz in food samples were evaluated in terms of used nanomaterials and applied food samples.

The potential of electrochemistry for one-pot and sensitive analysis of patent blue V, tartrazine, acid violet 7 and ponceau 4R in foodstuffs using IL/Cu-BTC MOF modified sensor

Since excessive use of synthetic dyes has negative effects on human health, their determination in foodstuff is necessary. A sensitive sensor was developed based on copper BTC metal-organic framework (Cu-BTC MOF) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride as an ionic liquid (IL) in an attempt to modify the carbon paste electrode and to improve the active surface area and electric conductivity so that electron transfer is faster for electro analysis. For the first time, high sensitivity, excellent conductivity, and appropriate selectivity of the electrochemical sensor have been evaluated as a new study for simultaneous determination of tartrazine, patent blue V, acid violet 7 and ponceau 4R. Excellent sensing performance of the proposed electrode was confirmed for patent blue V as an outstanding sensor, according to the low limit of detection of 0.07 µM, with a wide linear concentration range of 0.08 to 900 µM and reasonable recovery. In order to characterize the electrochemical behavior of electrode, cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy are used. Various techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-Ray analysis (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) are employed to verify the structure of copper BTC metal-organic framework. The results revealed close packing of hierarchically porous nanoparticles and crystal structure of Cu-BTC MOF, with the edge of each particle around 20-37 nm. The analytical performance of the suggested electrochemical sensor is acceptable in foodstuffs such as jellies, condiments, soft drinks, and candies.

Single-emission dual-enzyme magnetosensor for multiplex immunofluorometric assay of adulterated colorants in chili seasoning

In this work, a single-emission, dual-enzyme immunofluorometric magnetosensor was fabricated to simultaneously detect three illegal colorants in chili seasoning. Specifically, two enzymatic reactions catalyzed by horse radish peroxidase-labeled Rhodamine (RhB) antibody and glucose oxidase-labeled Sudan dyes (SuDs) antibody were performed within a functional microfluidic chip, leading to production of strongly fluorescent Resorufin. In addition, a compact analyzer assisted by a smartphone was developed to quantify signals. Compared with the available multiplex optical biosensors, this work demonstrated four superiorities: 1) Simple optical structure. Only single wavelength excitation/emission module was needed; 2) High multiplexing capacity through spatial resolution and signal resolution; 3) Precise determination by discriminant analysis; 4) Easy-operated and high-throughput parallel detection on 16-channel chips. Ultralow detection limits for RhB (0.0072 ng/mL), Sudan I (0.0040 ng/mL) and Sudan II (0.0260 ng/mL) were obtained by this magnetosensor, which opens a new approach in field detection of multiplex illegal dyes in food system.

An electrochemical sensor based on hierarchical nickel oxide nanostructures doped with indium ions for voltammetric simultaneous determination of sunset yellow and tartrazine colorants in soft drink powders

The current study was designed to develop a single-step and simple approach to effectively fabricate three-dimensional raspberry-like In³⁺/NiO hierarchical nanostructures (In³⁺/NiO RLHNSs) as a modifier, which was subsequently characterized by the techniques of X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The new prepared nano-modifier was practically used to co-detect electrochemically sunset yellow and tartrazine dyes. Potent sensitivity and acceptable selectivity were obtained for the produced In³⁺/NiO RLHNSs to co-detect both the food colorants, thus providing oxidation peaks in differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) with a peak potential separation of ca. 190 mV. The results showed a 5.14-fold and 8.07-fold increase in the electrochemical response of our modified electrode to sunset yellow and tartrazine, respectively, compared to the control (the unmodified electrode). Limits of detection of 2.7 and 3.1 nM were calculated for sunset yellow and tartrazine, respectively. The results from the interaction of common food additives showed satisfactory outcomes for the application of this method in determining sunset yellow and tartrazine in several beverage specimens. Other useful documentation was obtained for the production of portable food additive sensors.

A comparison of PMT-based and CCD-based sensors for electrochemiluminescence detection of sunset yellow in soft drinks

The use of artificial colorants in food is highly regulated due to their potential to harm human health. Thus, it is crucial to detect these substances effectively to ensure conformance with industrial standards. In this work, we prepared a photomultiplier tube (PMT)-based electrochemiluminescence (ECL) sensor and a charged coupled device (CCD)-based ECL sensor and compared their merits in the detection of sunset yellow (SY) dye. The sensors used C,N quantum dot-embedded g-C₃N₄ nanosheets (QDs@NSs) as the ECL agent and K₂S₂O₈ as the coreactant. SY was analyzed on the basis of amplification in the QDs@NHs-K₂S₂O₈ ECL system. The PMT-based sensor realized ultrasensitive detection using a single electrode, especially at low concentrations of SY. A CCD-based sensor imaged the ECL phenomenon of an electrode array and provided the advantages of high throughput and time savings. Under optimized conditions, both sensors exhibited high specificity, reproducibility and stability; detection limits of 20 nM with PMT detection and 5 μM with CCD detection were determined for SY, with detection ranging over at least two decades. The practical feasibilities of these systems were confirmed by satisfactory detection of SY in real drink samples.