Determination of patulin using dual-dummy templates imprinted electrochemical sensor with PtPd decorated N-doped porous carbon for amplification

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Patulin is a mycotoxin commonly found in food products.
• Accurate detection of patulin is crucial for food safety.
• Existing detection methods may lack sensitivity or specificity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel dual-dummy templates imprinted electrochemical sensor for patulin detection.
• To enhance recognition capacity and sensitivity compared to single-dummy methods.
• To validate the sensor's performance in real food samples.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) film using 2-oxindole and 6-hydroxynicotinic acid as dual dummy templates.
• Electropolymerization with 4-aminothiophenol functional monomer and ionic liquid electrolyte.
• Utilizing a PtPd decorated N-doped porous carbon composite for signal amplification.
• Electrochemical detection with [Fe(CN)₆]^3-/4- probe.

Main Results:

• The dual-dummy MIP sensor demonstrated superior recognition capacity.
• Achieved a wide detection range of 0.01 to 10 μg L^-1.
• Reported a low detection limit of 7.5 × 10^-3 μg L^-1.
• High recovery rates (94-99.8%) and low RSD values (2.4-4.6%) in spiked juice samples.

Conclusions:

• The developed dual-dummy imprinted electrochemical sensor is highly effective for patulin detection.
• The sensor exhibits excellent sensitivity, selectivity, and stability.
• This method shows significant potential for the routine analysis of patulin in food products.