A Novel Green Electrochemical Sensor Modified with ZnO Nanoparticles for Detection of Allura Red

Abstract

Nowadays, the use of nano-sensors has been considered in order to detect various compounds. In the food industry, nano-sensors are used to detect toxins, microbes and various compounds. Allura red is a red azo dye that is used in health and cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food industries. Azo dyes have toxic effects and can cause oxidative stress response and change the expression of different genes. Therefore, it is important to detect and determine its concentration. In this study, a simple and novel electrochemical sensor modified with ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) synthesized by the green method was fabricated and used for electrochemical detection of Allura Red in food samples. Surface morphology and electrochemical properties of the prepared nanocomposite modified electrode were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Under optimized conditions, the calibration plot was linear in the concentration renege of 0.01 μM to 0.41 μM, and the limit of detection was found to be 0.001 μM. The proposed sensor was successfully applied for determination of Allura Red in food samples.