Electrochemical determination of eugenol using a poly-γ-aminobutyric acid modified glassy carbon electrode

Abstract

Eugenol, an active substance widely used in the medical, food, and cosmetic industries, has garnered increasing attention due to its potential adverse effects on human health resulting from excessive use. In this study, a sensitive sensor for the determination of eugenol was developed by electropolymerizing γ-aminobutyric acid (gABA) onto the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). Experiments showed that the poly γ-aminobutyric acid (pgABA) membrane exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of eugenol, and its oxidation peak current was greatly increased. Under optimized conditions, the oxidation peak current of eugenol was linearly proportional to its concentration in a range of 0.6–100 μmol/L, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9985 and a detection limit of 0.2 μmol/L. The sensor’s ability to detect eugenol in various authentic samples, with recovery rates ranging from 98.0 % to 101.3 %, attests to its great potential for practical application.