Multiwalled carbon nanotubes decorated dandelion-like α-MnO2 microspheres for simultaneous and sensitive detection of Sunset Yellow and Tartrazine

Abstract

Excessive consumption of Sunset Yellow (SY) and Tartrazine (Tz) might cause adverse effects on human health. Hence, it is essential to develop a rapid and reliable technique for simultaneous determination of SY and Tz. Herein, an innovative voltammetric sensor was constructed for simultaneous determination of SY and Tz using multiwalled carbon nanotubes decorated dandelion-like α-MnO₂ microspheres (MnO₂/MWCNTs). The physiochemical properties of MnO₂/MWCNTs were studied by various microscopic, spectroscopic, and electrochemical techniques. Various parameters, including accumulation time, accumulation potential, loading volume, buffer pH, and scanning rate, were systematically explored in order to pursuit the higher peak current response. The MnO₂/MWCNT effectively enlarged the electroactive surface area and expedited the electron transfer. As a result, the MnO₂/MWCNT decorated glassy carbon electrode (GCE) displayed superior sensing performance for the electrooxidation of SY and Tz over a wide concentration range (0.06–10 μM), owing to the synergistic effect from dandelion-like α-MnO₂ microspheres and highly conductive MWCNTs. The detection limits were 0.005 and 0.01 μM for SY and Tz, respectively. In addition, the MnO₂/MWCNT/GCE demonstrated strong anti-interfering capacity against potential interfering species, and highly reproducible electrode manufacture. The MnO₂/MWCNT/GCE was successfully employed for the simultaneous and sensitive determination of SY and Tz in carbonate beverage with good recovery.