Developing an sensitive and selective method for determination of tetra- butyl benzoquinone in edible oils

Abstract

The presence of trace amount of Tetra -butyl hydroquinone or its metabolite, Tetra -butyl benzoquinone (TBQ), may inhibit cell proliferation and cause biologic abnormalities due to the high prevalence of thiolate groups of proteins or cell walls. The aim of this study was to fabrication an electrochemical nanosensor based on molecular imprinted polymer to detection of TBQ in edible oil. This study was a methodologic study. The statistical population included edible oil samples containing TBQ. The effect of different factors such as amount of MIP and MWCNT for production of ceramic carbon electrodes as well as pH of preconcentration solution and the incubation time of the prepared nanosensor in the solution on the oxidation signal of TBQ was optimized by response surface methodology. Differential pulsed voltammetry has been used to determine the TBQ in oil samples. The Morphologies of MIP and prepared sensors were described by scanning electron microscopy. Optimal conditions for the separation and determination of TBQ in edible oil, including 10 mg of multiwall carbon nanotube, 30 mg of MIP for preparing a modified carbon ceramic electrode, and 8 minutes as incubation time in a 0.1 M phosphate buffer solution with pH 10 was obtained. The proposed method is capable of detecting TBQ in edible oil samples at a concentration range of 6 - 680 nM with a detection limit of 3.1 nM. Based on the results, the proposed sensor can be used as a suitable tool for determination of TBQ in edible oil samples in industries and laboratories.

Keywords

• tetra- butyl benzoquinone
• edible oil
• molecular imprinted polymer
• carbon ceramic electrode