A Portable Integrated Electrochemical Sensing System for On-Site Nitrite Detection in Food

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Analytical Chemistry
• Biosensors

Background:

• Maintaining appropriate nitrite levels in food is crucial for health.
• Current on-site food nitrite analysis methods are often expensive and lack portability.
• There is a need for accessible, low-cost solutions for rapid food nitrite detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a portable integrated electrochemical sensing system (IESS) for rapid, on-site food nitrite detection.
• To create a cost-effective and user-friendly device for food safety analysis.
• To enable wireless data transmission of nitrite levels to smartphones.

Main Methods:

• Development of a disposable microfluidic electrochemical patch utilizing a MXene-Ti3C2Tx/multiwalled carbon nanotubes-cyanocobalamin (MXene/MWCNTs-VB12) modified electrode.
• Integration of a reusable smartphone-assisted electronic device with a custom circuit board for signal processing and wireless transmission.
• Utilizing the strong electron transfer of the MXene/MWCNTs matrix and the selectivity of VB12 for sensitive nitrite detection.

Main Results:

• The developed electrochemical patch achieved high sensitivity (10.533 µA mm⁻¹) and a low detection limit (4.22 µm) for nitrite.
• The portable IESS demonstrated rapid sample analysis within 1.0 second.
• Wireless data transmission from the electronic device to a smartphone via Bluetooth was successfully implemented.

Conclusions:

• The proposed portable IESS provides a rapid and on-site solution for food nitrite analysis.
• The system's palm-sized design and wireless capabilities offer a new approach for food safety monitoring.
• This technology has potential applications in personal bespoke therapy and food safety surveillance.