Simultaneous Determination of TBH2Q and BHA Antioxidants in Food Samples Using Eosin Y Film Modified Electrode

A glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was modified with eosin Y that was electrodeposited on GCE via continuous cycling between − 1.6 and 1.5 V (vs Ag/AgCl). This electrode was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical impedance spectra. The resulting electrode exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity toward the oxidation of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and tert-butyl hydroquinone (TBH 2 Q); in addition, the oxidation products of BHA and TBH 2 Q were found to be the same, which was studied by CV and in situ FT-IR spectroelectrochemistry. Under the optimized condition, the oxidation peak currents were linear to BHA/TBH 2 Q in the range from 0.10 to 7.00 μg mL −1 with the detection limits of 0.01 μg mL −1 (S/N = 3) for BHA and 0.015 μg mL −1 (S/N = 3) for TBH 2 Q, respectively. Moreover, the reproducibility and repeatability of the electrode were determined. The proposed method was successfully applied in the simultaneous determination of BHA and TBH 2 Q in several edible oil samples, and satisfactory results when compared with those obtained using high-performance liquid chromatography.