A sensitive electrochemical sensor for determination of gallic acid based on SiO2 nanoparticle modified carbon paste electrode

Gallic acid (GA), one of the main phenolic components, has been a subject of increasing interest due to their biological properties, including anti-inflammatory, antihistaminic, and antitumor activities, scavenging of free radicals, and protecting against cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, developing sensitive and selective sensor for GA is very important and interesting. Herein, SiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized and then used to prepare a modified carbon paste electrode (CPE) for determination of GA. For better comparison, multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and graphite were also employed to prepare an electrochemical sensor for determination of GA. The electrochemical behaviors of GA at different electrochemical sensors were investigated. Compared with other sensors, the SiO2 nanoparticle sensor greatly enhances the response signal of GA due to the large active surface area and high accumulation efficiency. Voltammetric studies show that the SiO2 nanoparticle modified carbon paste electrode is sensitive to GA in the concentration range of 8.0 x 10(-7) to 1.0 x 10(-4) mol L-1, and the limit of detection and sensitivity were calculated as 2.5 x 10(-7) mol L-1 and 1790.7 (mu A/mM), respectively. Finally, the proposed electrochemical sensor was successfully employed to determine GA in tea and orange juice samples. (C) 2015 Published by Elsevier B.V.