Cu3(PO4)2/BiVO4 photoelectrochemical sensor for sensitive and selective determination of synthetic antioxidant propyl gallate

Propyl gallate (PG) as one of the most important additives has been widely used to prevent or slow the oxidation of foods in the food industry. In this work, Cu-3(PO4)(2)/BiVO4 composite is synthesized through two hydrothermal processes. With visible light irradiation, the Cu-3(PO4)(2)/BiVO4 composites modified PEC platform displays a superior anode photocurrent signal. The PEC sensor showed a wide linear range from 1 x 10(-10) to 1 x 10(-3) mol L-1 with a detection limit as low as 0.05 x 10(-10) mol L-1. The Cu-3(PO4)(2)/BiVO4 photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor is designed and characterized by electrochemical impedance. Compared with GCE/BiVO4 and GCE/Cu-3(PO4)(2), the GCE/Cu-3(PO4)(2)/BiVO4 has a higher photocurrent response. In addition, the sensor is highly selective for samples containing other antioxidants. Furthermore, the sensor can be used to detect PG in edible oil samples with satisfactory results. The recoveries of propyl gallate in edible oil ranged from 95.5 to 101.8%. The results show that Cu-3(PO4)(2)/BiVO4 composites can be used to analyze PG in different edible oil samples, which are beneficial for food quality monitoring and reduce the risk of PG overuse in food.

Automated summary

This study successfully synthesized Cu-3(PO4)(2)/BiVO4 composite and utilized it as a PEC sensor for detecting propyl gallate in foods. The sensor exhibited a wide linear range, low detection limit, and high selectivity for other antioxidants.