Electroanalytical sensing of indigo carmine dye in water samples using a cathodically pretreated boron-doped diamond electrode

The cathodically pretreated boron-doped diamond electrode as an environmentally friendly electrochemical tool for the detection and monitoring of mesotrione in food samples

Excessive pesticide use can harm human health, making it essential to develop new techniques to monitor hazardous pesticides in food. Our study focuses on detecting mesotrione (MST) using an unmodified boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrode. This was the first application of cathodically pretreated BDD electrode for the detection of MST, based on its oxidation at a high potential value of +1.4 V. We theoretically examined the oxidation mechanism of MST trough the utilization of density functional theory (DFT) methodology. The utilized DPV method achieved a detection limit of 0.45 μM and showed satisfactory selectivity. The practical application of this method was demonstrated by examining corn-based food products. To ensure practical application of the method, MST was deliberately added to the samples to evaluate the accuracy of the proposed method. The effectiveness of the method was confirmed by using HPLC method. This environmentally-friendly approach can establish a solid foundation for future use in food analysis.

Trends in pulse voltammetric techniques applied to foodstuffs analysis: The food additives detection

Food additives are chemical compounds intentionally added during foodstuff production to control technological functions, such as pH, viscosity, stability (color, flavor, taste, and odor), homogeneity, and loss of nutritional value. These compounds are fundamental in inhibition the degradation process and prolonging the shelf life of foodstuffs. However, their inadequate employment or overconsumption can adversely affect consumers' health with the development of allergies, hematological, autoimmune, and reproductive disorders, as well as the development of some types of cancer. Thus, the development and application of simple, fast, low-cost, sensitivity, and selectivity analytical methods for identifying and quantifying food additives from various chemical classes and in different foodstuffs are fundamental to quality control and ensuring food safety. This review presents trends in the detection of food additives in foodstuffs using differential pulse voltammetry and square wave voltammetry, the main pulse voltammetric techniques, indicating the advantages, drawbacks, and applicability in food analysis. Are discussed the importance of adequate choices of working electrode materials in the improvements of analytical results, allowing reliable, accurate, and inexpensive voltammetric methods for detecting these compounds in foodstuffs samples.

Smart and emerging point of care electrochemical sensors based on nanomaterials for SARS-CoV-2 virus detection: Towards designing a future rapid diagnostic tool

In the recent years, researchers from all over the world have become interested in the fabrication of advanced and innovative electrochemical and/or biosensors for respiratory virus detection with the use of nanotechnology. These fabricated sensors demonstrated a number of benefits, including precision, affordability, accessibility, and miniaturization which makes them a promising test method for point-of-care (PoC) screening for SARS-CoV-2 viral infection. In order to comprehend the principles of electrochemical sensing and the role of various types of sensing interfaces, we comprehensively explored the underlying principles of electroanalytical methods and terminologies related to it in this review. In addition, it is addressed how to fabricate electrochemical sensing devices incorporating nanomaterials as graphene, metal/metal oxides, metal organic frameworks (MOFs), MXenes, quantum dots, and polymers. We took an effort to carefully compile current developments, advantages, drawbacks, possible solutions in nanomaterials based electrochemical sensors.

Development of a sensitive and inexpensive electrochemical sensor for indigotin using poly(valine) modified carbon paste electrode

In this study, an electro-polymerized valine (VLN) stimulated carbon paste electrode (CPE) was used to create a straightforward, inexpensive, and renewable electrochemical sensor for accurate and selective indigotin (IGN) determination. Comparing the CPE, to the modified electrode, it exhibits excellent sensibility for the IGN oxidation-reduction reaction. Multiple techniques, including cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were utilized in this case to characterize the electrode materials. IGN was analyzed using CPE and poly(valine) modified carbon paste electrodes (P(VLN)MCPE) taking a 6.5 pH in 0.2 M phosphate buffer solution (PBS). Because it has more active spots than the CPE and a strong electrocatalytic nature, P(VLN)MCPE exhibits excellent electrochemical performance. The impact of pH, scan rate, numerous interferents, and fluctuation in analyte concentration were only a few of the important electrochemical factors that were investigated. The variation in scan rate proves that the IGN oxidation-reduction reaction on the surface of P(VLN)MCPE is as follows an adsorption-controlled pathway. The P(VLN)MCPE displays a good electrochemical nature for IGN in the 0.2 to 5.0 μM range, with a low limit of detection (LOD) is 0.0069 μM and a limit of quantification (LOQ) is 0.023 μM. P(VLN)MCPE shows good reproducibility, stability, and repeatability for the detection of IGN. Additionally, P(VLN)MCPE's analytical applicability for IGN detection in water sample was assessed with impressive recovery.

Research on Detection of Sterol Doping in Sports by Electrochemical Sensors: A Review

The use of doping by athletes to improve performance is prohibited. Therefore, doping testing is an important step to ensure fairness in sports. Doping is gradually metabolized in the body and is therefore difficult to detect immediately by a common method. At the same time, the emergence of new doping agents poses a challenge for highly sensitive detection. Electrochemical sensors are a fast, highly sensitive, and inexpensive analytical detection technology. It provides qualitative and quantitative determination of analytes by altering the electrochemical signal of the analyte or probe at the electrode. In this min-review, we summarized the different electrochemical sensing strategies for sterol doping detection. Some of the representative papers were interpreted in detail. In addition, we compare different sensing strategies.

Nano-Structured Carbon: Its Synthesis from Renewable Agricultural Sources and Important Applications

Carbon materials are versatile in nature due to their unique and modifiable surface and ease of production. Nanostructured carbon materials are gaining importance due to their high surface area for application in the energy, biotechnology, biomedical, and environmental fields. According to their structures, carbon allotropes are classified as carbon nanodots, carbon nanoparticles, graphene, oxide, carbon nanotubes, and fullerenes. They are synthesized via several methods, including pyrolysis, microwave method, hydrothermal synthesis, and chemical vapor deposition, and the use of renewable and cheaper agricultural feedstocks and reactants is increasing for reducing cost and simplifying production. This review explores the nanostructured carbon detailed investigation of sources and their relevant reports. Many of the renewable sources are covered as focused here, such as sugar cane waste, pineapple, its solid biomass, rise husk, date palm, nicotine tabacum stems, lapsi seed stone, rubber-seed shell, coconut shell, and orange peels. The main focus of this work is on the various methods used to synthesize these carbon materials from agricultural waste materials, and their important applications for energy storage devices, optoelectronics, biosensors, and polymer coatings.

Voltammetric Sensor Based on SeO2 Nanoparticles and Surfactants for Indigo Carmine Determination

Indigo carmine is a widely used colorant in the food and pharmaceutical industry a high concentration of which can lead to a wide range of negative effects on human health. Therefore, colorant contents have to be strictly controlled. SeO₂-nanoparticle-modified glassy carbon electrodes (GCE) have been developed as a voltammetric sensor for indigo carmine. Various types and concentrations of surfactants have been used as reagents for the stabilization of SeO₂ nanoparticle dispersions and as electrode surface co-modifiers. An amount of 1.0 mM cationic cetylpyridinium bromide (CPB) provides the best response of the indigo carmine on the modified electrode. The electrodes were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). SeO₂ nanoparticle–CPB-modified electrodes show 4.2-fold higher electroactive area vs. GCE as well as a dramatic 5043-fold decrease in the electron transfer resistance indicating effectivity of the modifier developed. The surface-controlled electrooxidation of indigo carmine proceeds irreversibly (α_a = 0.46) with the participation of two electrons and two protons. A linear dynamic range of 0.025–1.0 and 1.0–10 µM of indigo carmine were obtained with the detection and quantification limits of 4.3 and 14.3 nM, respectively. The practical applicability of the sensor was successfully shown on the pharmaceutical dosage forms.

Polydopamine-Bi2WO6-Decorated Gauzes as Dual-Functional Membranes for Solar Steam Generation and Photocatalytic Degradation Applications

The dual-functional Bi2WO6/polydopamine (PDA)-modified gauze membrane has been developed for applications in photocatalytic degradation and solar steam generation. Two types of membrane were prepared by changing the growth sequence of Bi2WO6 nanomaterials and PDA on gauze substrates. The spatial distribution of Bi2WO6 and polydopamine has a great influence on light absorption, photocatalytic degradation, and solar steam generation performances. Bi2WO6 photocatalysts can absorb short-wavelength light for the photocatalytic decoloration of organic dyes. The photothermal polydopamine can convert light into heat for water evaporation. Besides, the gauze substrate provides water transport channels to facilitate water evaporation. The morphology, surface chemistry, and optical properties of Bi2WO6-PDA modified gauzes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance spectra. The photothermal properties, wetting properties, and solar steam generation rates of the composite films were also studied. Degradation of 96% of indigo carmine was achieved after being irradiated for 120 min in the presence of G/PDA/BWNP. The water evaporation rates of the G/BWP/PDA sample under the irradiation of an Xe lamp (light intensity = 1000 W/m2) reached 1.94 kg·m-2·h-1.

Colorimetric and fluorometric nanoprobe for selective and sensitive recognition of hazardous colorant indigo carmine in beverages based on ion pairing with nitrogen doped carbon dots

Indigo carmine (IC) dye is hazardous and allergenic for humans even though it has been excessively used in a wide range of industries. Therefore, the quantitative determination of IC is still challenging. Herein, for the first time, we have developed fluorometric and colorimetric dual-mode nanoprobe derived from the ion-pair association complex between the negatively charged IC and positively charged N@C-dots in pH = 3.0. Consequently, the binding between N@C-dots and IC resulted in cyan blue and quenching of N@C-dots fluorescence. The dependence of the fluorescence response on IC concentrations was linear over the range of 0.73-10.0 µM (R² = 0.9989) with LOD of 0.24 µM. On the other hand, the linearity of the colorimetric method ranged from 9.97 to 80.0 µM (R² = 0.9986) with LOD of 3.3 µM. The sensor was applied for estimation of IC in fruit juice and soft drink without the need for exhaustive extraction steps.

Mediated electrochemical method for the determination of indigo carmine levels in food products

In this paper, we have studied the electrochemical behavior of indigo carmine (IC) in the presence and absence of mediator molecules. We have used three azo dyes as mediators in our studies and the effect of mediator molecules on the electron transfer between the IC solution and the electrode surface was explained from the cyclic voltammograms data. Among these dyes, 4-(4-nitrophenilazo)N-benzyl,N-ethylaniline (NBE) showed good performance as an electron transfer mediator. The NBE/carbon paste was characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy methods. The redox peak currents of IC were enhanced significantly compared with those obtained at the unmodified electrode. Some parameters affecting sensor response were optimized and then the calibration curve was plotted. The oxidation peak current was proportional to the concentration of IC from 1 to 100μmolL^-1. The detection limit was 0.36μmolL^-1. The proposed electrode was successfully applied to the determination of IC in various real samples without complex sample pretreatment.

Boron-doped diamond electrode: Preparation, characterization and application for electrocatalytic degradation of m-dinitrobenzene

Boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrode was successfully prepared via microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition method and it was used in electrocatalytic degradation of m-dinitrobenzene (m-DNB). The electrocatalytic degradation efficiency of m-DNB was evaluated under different experimental parameters including current density, temperature, pH, Na₂SO₄ concentration and initial m-DNB concentration. Under optimal parameters, degradation efficiency of m-DNB reached up to 82.7% after 150min. The degradation process of m-DNB was fitted well with pseudo first-order kinetics. Moreover, UV and HPLC analyses implied that m-DNB was totally destroyed and mineralized after 240min degradation, and the proposed mechanism during the electrocatalytic degradation process was analyzed. All these results demonstrated that BDD electrode possessed excellent electrocatalytic property and showed a great potential application in wastewater treatment.