Cu3(PO4)2/BiVO4 photoelectrochemical sensor for sensitive and selective determination of synthetic antioxidant propyl gallate

Propyl gallate (PG) as one of the most important additives has been widely used to prevent or slow the oxidation of foods in the food industry. In this work, Cu 3 (PO 4 ) 2 /BiVO 4 composite is synthesized through two hydrothermal processes. With visible light irradiation, the Cu 3 (PO 4 ) 2 /BiVO 4 composites modified PEC platform displays a superior anode photocurrent signal. The PEC sensor showed a wide linear range from 1 × 10 −10 to 1 × 10 −3  mol L −1 with a detection limit as low as 0.05 × 10 −10  mol L −1 . The Cu 3 (PO 4 ) 2 /BiVO 4 photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor is designed and characterized by electrochemical impedance. Compared with GCE/BiVO 4 and GCE/Cu 3 (PO 4 ) 2 , the GCE/Cu 3 (PO 4 ) 2 /BiVO 4 has a higher photocurrent response. In addition, the sensor is highly selective for samples containing other antioxidants. Furthermore, the sensor can be used to detect PG in edible oil samples with satisfactory results. The recoveries of propyl gallate in edible oil ranged from 95.5 to 101.8%. The results show that Cu 3 (PO 4 ) 2 /BiVO 4 composites can be used to analyze PG in different edible oil samples, which are beneficial for food quality monitoring and reduce the risk of PG overuse in food. Graphical abstract