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A novel 3D-printed flexible electrode with rGO/MWCNTs ink for capsaicin detection in chilli peppers
Jiachen Zhao1, Huilin Hu1, Chao Wang1
1Key Laboratory of Edible Oil Quality and Safety, State Administration for Market Regulation; Key Laboratory for Deep Processing of Major Grain and Oil (Wuhan Polytechnic University), Ministry of Education; Hubei Key Laboratory for Processing and Transformation of Agricultural Products, School of Food Science and Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China.
Abstract:
Capsaicin, the primary bioactive compound responsible for the pungency in chilli peppers, poses potential health risks at excessive levels. This study introduced a novel approach for capsaicin detection in food products using a reduced graphene oxide and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (rGO/MWCNTs)-based conductive ink integrated electrodes (IDE) produced via inkjet printing. A hybrid ink was synthesized by dispersing rGO and MWCNTs in polyethylene glycol 400, with the mass ratio of 1:2 to facilitate electron transfer. The rGO/MWCNTs-printed IDE sensor provided a dynamic range of 0.1 μM to 100 μM and a detection limit as low as 0.035 μM. The sensor exhibited good repeatability and selectivity, and maintained 97.5% of its initial response over 28 days. Practical applicability was validated in red, green, millet chilli pepper extracts and hotpot seasoning, yielding recoveries of 92.71-108.48%. The printed rGO/MWCNTs IDE platform enables sensitive capsaicin analysis and is suitable for food quality control.
