Synergy of yttrium single atom doped carbon nitride and nickel/cobalt spinel ferrites in electrochemical sensing: A novel sensor for simultaneous detection of antioxidants

In this paper, a highly sensitive electrochemical sensor for the simultaneous detection of tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) and butylhydroxyanisole (BHA) in edible oil was successfully constructed by combining granular nickel/cobalt spinel ferrites (NiFe₂O₄-CoFe₂O₄) with yttrium single atom doped carbon nitride (YNC). NiFe₂O₄-CoFe₂O₄ nanocomposites were effectively synthesized through a hydrothermal reaction and high-temperature calcination, exhibiting interconnected electron transfer channels and excellent electrochemical properties. Meanwhile, YNC could provide numerous catalytic sites due to the presence of a yttrium single atom, which maintained outstanding electrical conductivity. The combination of two nanocomposites produced a synergistic effect that enhanced electron transfer ability and electrocatalytic activity, reduced the electron transfer barrier, and significantly improved the current response to the analytes. Under optimal conditions, the detection linear range of TBHQ was 0.5–220 μM with a detection limit of 53 nM, while the detection linear range of BHA was 1–240 μM with a detection limit of 184 nM. Furthermore, tests on actual samples of edible oils yielded recovery rates ranging from 91.0 % to 106.3 %, which suggested that this study could provide an efficient and promising idea for the simultaneous detection of antioxidants in edible oils.