Electrochemical monitoring of vanillin using BaFe₁₂O₁₈@carbon black modified electrode in food samples

In this work, we developed a sensitive and selective electrochemical sensor for the food flavouring agent, vanillin using barium hexaferrite integrated carbon black nanocomposite (BaFe₁₂O₁₈@CB). The BaFe₁₂O₁₈ particles were synthesized through chemical co-precipitation, with subsequent integration of carbon black via sonochemical method, serving to improve the conductivity and surface area of the composite. The glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with BaFe₁₂O₁₈@CB composite (BaFe₁₂O₁₈@CB/GCE) show excellent electrocatalytic activity toward the vanillin in the concentration range of 0.5-1084 μM and a detection limit of 0.396 μM using differential pulse voltammetry. The BaFe₁₂O₁₈@CB/GCE sensor shows good stability and reproducibility, low interferences from common food matrix, and no drift over time. Analysis of real samples including coffee, chocolate, cookies, milk, and ice cream showed satisfactory recoveries, confirming its usefulness in routine analysis. Overall, the results indicate that BaFe₁₂O₁₈@CB/GCE sensor is a simple, inexpensive, and reliable sensor for monitoring vanillin in various food products.