Crafting a Graphite Electrode With Embedded Y₂O₃ Nanoparticles for the Electrochemical Detection of Amaranth in Candies

The current study throws light on the development of an yttrium oxide nanoparticle-ingrained graphite paste electrode (Y2O3@GP) serving as an efficient, pocket-friendly sensor for detecting amaranth (AMR) electrochemically. Y2O3 nanoparticles (nps) were synthesized by a simple sol–gel method, using a solution of Y2O3 using a capping agent named polyethylene glycol (PEG) 400. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy techniques were considered for the necessary characterization of these nanoparticles. This freshly developed electrode was deployed as the working electrode (WE) in a three-electrode system. This setup used the cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) analysis methods for studying the behaviors of AMR in a phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) environment with a pH of 6. The DPV revealed two different linear ranges. The first one was 0.05–
$5~\mu $
M and the next one was 5–
$100~\mu $
M for identifying AMR. The limit of detection (LOD) was found to be 3.6 nM considering the lowest concentration-based linear range. The modified electrode showcased outstanding consistency, reliability, selectivity, and extended stability for AMR detection. Furthermore, the efficacy of this electrode was validated through successful detection of AMR in real-world food samples. Different candies were used as real samples for studying this electrode and pretty enough recoveries within the range of 94%–115% were achieved.