Bimetallic FeCo phosphide-enabled electrochemical sensor for rapid tanshinol quantification in Salvia miltiorrhiza herb at near-neutral condition

Tanshinol, an active ingredient extracted from the Salvia miltiorrhiza herb, is widely used in Chinese medicine or health supplements. Accurately and rapidly quantifying of tanshinol under near-neutral or neutral conditions is of great significance but still a significant challenge. Herein, a novel electrochemical sensor based on bimetallic FeCo phosphides (Fe x Co 1-x P) was developed for rapid and sensitive detection of tanshinol in near-neutral environments. Fe x Co 1-x P nanocrystals supported on porous graphene (Fe x Co 1-x P/GFs) were synthesized, with Fe 0.25 Co 0.75 P/GFs demonstrating an enhanced electrochemical response for tanshinol detection at pH 6.5. The Fe 0.25 Co 0.75 P/GFs-based tanshinol electrochemical sensor exhibited linear detection ranges of 0.20–11.65 μM and 11.65–39.98 μM, which could accurately quantify tanshinol in Salvia miltiorrhiza herb. This study highlights the potential of earth‐abundant FeCo phosphides for the electrochemical detection of tanshinol under benign conditions, offering a promising approach for the standardized analysis of Salvia miltiorrhiza herb.