N, S co-doped lignin-based carbon microsphere functionalized graphene hydrogel with ‘‘sphere-in-layer” interconnection as electrode materials for supercapacitor and molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensors

A simple molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensor for determination of propyl gallate in food samples

Propyl gallate (PG), a prevalent synthetic phenolic antioxidant found in food products, has generated considerable apprehension owing to its potential adverse impacts on human health. Therefore, as a result of the current inquiry, an innovative electrochemical sensor with improved sensitivity and selectivity for PG detection has been created. Under optimal conditions, the manufactured sensor exhibits the capability to identify PG within a broad range from 0.01 μM to 5 μM and from 5 μM to 1000 μM with a limit of detection (LOD) of 6 nM, demonstrating exceptional levels of reproducibility, repeatability, stability, and selectivity. The sensor demonstrated successful detection of PG in edible oils and mayonnaise, with good recoveries ranging from 98.44 % to 101.37 %.

Sustainable lignin precursors for tailored porous carbon-based supercapacitor electrodes

Sustainable materials are attracting a lot of attention since they will be critical in the creation of the next generation of products and devices. In this study, hydrogels were effectively synthesized utilizing lignin, a non-valorised biopolymer from the paper industry. This study proposes a method based on utilizing lignin to create highly swollen hydrogels using poly(ethylene) glycol diglycidyl ether (PEGDGE) as a crosslinking agent. The influence of different crosslinker ratios on the structural and chemical properties of the resultant hydrogels was investigated. Pore size was observed to be lowered when the amount of crosslinker was increased. The inclusion of additional hydrophilic groups in the hydrogel network decreased the swelling capacity of the hydrogels as the crosslinking density increases. These precursor materials were carbonised and electrochemically tested for application as electrodes for supercapacitors with capacitance characterized as a function of crosslinker ratio.