Octylamine-oxalic acid (Oct-Oxa) deep eutectic solvent for the separation of Sudan II from food samples

This work presents a novel deep eutectic solvent (DES) formed of octylamine and oxalic acid (Oct-Oxa) that was effectively used to separate Sudan II dye from food and water samples. The prepared DES was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (¹³C NMR). Key parameters were optimized, including a short ultrasonication time of 30 s and a very low DES volume of only 500 μL that could be separated within one minute of centrifugation. The remaining parameters were also tested: pH (7), DES molar ratio (1:1), and sample volume (40 mL). The method demonstrates excellent recovery and accuracy, with limits of detection (LOD) of 1.2 μg kg^-1 and quantification (LOQ) of 4.1 μg kg^-1. It facilitates rapid separation and sensitive detection of Sudan II dye using ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) spectrophotometry. The novelty of this approach lies in the use of a novel DES, the minimal volume of DES required, and the efficiency of the short ultrasonication time, highlighting the method's potential for sustainable, cost-effective extraction in environmental and food safety applications.