Electrosynthesis of poly(m-phenylenediamine) on the nanocomposites of palygorskite and ionic liquid for electrocatalytic sensing of gallic acid

In this study, electrocatalytic sensing of gallic acid (GA) with poly( m -phenylenediamine) (PmPD) electrodeposited on the nanocomposites of palygorskite (Pal) and ionic liquid (IL) was reported. The PmPD/Pal-IL modified electrode showed a low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.28 μM and a wide linear range from 1.0 μM to 300 μM for electrochemical sensing of GA due to the synergistic effects of PmPD, Pal and IL. That is to say, electrocatalysis of PmPD, preconcentration ability of Pal and ionic conductivity of IL contributed to the sensitive determination of GA. In addition, the fabricated PmPD/Pal-IL also exhibited high selectivity with little interferences from common organic compounds and inorganic cations, high storage stability and reproducibility in the determination of GA. Finally, the proposed GA sensor was applied in the determination of GA in real food samples, and the results demonstrated the potential of the prepared PmPD/Pal-IL as a promising GA sensor for rapid and accurate determination of GA in foodstuffs.