Highly sensitive and efficient voltammetric determination of ascorbic acid in food and pharmaceutical samples from aqueous solutions based on nanostructure carbon paste electrode as a sensor

A square wave voltammetric method for the trace analysis of ascorbic acid was developed in this study. Carbon paste electrode was modified with NiO nanoparticle and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate as a binder. Electro-oxidation behavior of ascorbic acid on the modified electrode was studied, which indicated that the nanostructure modified electrode could efficiently promote electrocatalytic oxidation of ascorbic acid. A fast, selective, high sensitive and simple electrochemical strategy was then developed for trace analysis of ascorbic acid using the constructed electrode. The catalytic oxidation signal exhibited a wide linear range from 0.08 to 380.0 mu M toward the concentration of ascorbic acid with a sensitivity of 0.0158 mu A/mu M, and the limit of detection was as low as 0.04 mu M. The suggested sensor was also used for quantitative determination of ascorbic add in food and pharmaceutical samples. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.