Photoelectrochemical determination of tert-butylhydroquinone in edible oil samples employing CdSe/ZnS quantum dots and LiTCNE

• Published in: Food chemistry Vol. 227; pp. 16 - 21
• Main Authors: Monteiro, Thatyara Oliveira, Tanaka, Auro Atsushi, Damos, Flávio Santos, Luz, Rita de Cássia Silva
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 15.07.2017
• Subjects: Antioxidants - chemistry; CdSe/ZnS quantum dot; Edible oil; Food Additives - chemistry; Food Analysis - instrumentation; Food Analysis - methods; Hydroquinones - chemistry; LiTCNE; Lithium - chemistry; Photoelectrochemical sensor; Plant Oils - chemistry; Quantum Dots - chemistry; TBHQ detection; Photoelectrochemical sensor; CdSe/ZnS quantum dot; TBHQ detection; LiTCNE; Edible oil
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.01.089

•A novel device based on CdSe/ZnS core-shell quantum dots sensitized with LiTCNE was developed.•The photoelectroanalytical sensor exhibited photocurrent under visible LED light.•Photoelectroanalytical sensor was applied for TBHQ determination in edible oils. A novel photoelectrochemical sensor was developed for determination of tert-butyl-hydroquinone (TBHQ) in edible vegetable oils, based on CdSe/ZnS core-shell quantum dots sensitized with lithium tetracyanoethylenide (LiTCNE). The CdSe/ZnS/LiTCNE photoelectrochemical sensor presented a TBHQ photocurrent about 13-fold higher and a charge transfer resistance 62-fold lower than observed for a CdSe/ZnS sensor. The photoelectrochemical sensor showed selectivity to TBHQ, with a high photocurrent for this antioxidant compared to the photocurrent responses for other phenolic antioxidants. The CdSe/ZnS/LiTCNE photoelectrochemical sensor presented a linear range from 0.6 to 250μmolL−1, sensitivity of 0.012μALμmol−1, and a limit of detection of 0.21μmolL−1 for TBHQ, under optimized experimental conditions. The sensor was successfully employed in the analysis of edible oil samples, with recoveries of between 98.25% and 99.83% achieved.