Electrochemically synthesized polymers in molecular imprinting for chemical sensing

This critical review describes a class of polymers prepared by electrochemical polymerization that employs the concept of molecular imprinting for chemical sensing. The principal focus is on both conducting and nonconducting polymers prepared by electropolymerization of electroactive functional monomers, such as pristine and derivatized pyrrole, aminophenylboronic acid, thiophene, porphyrin, aniline, phenylenediamine, phenol, and thiophenol. A critical evaluation of the literature on electrosynthesized molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) applied as recognition elements of chemical sensors is presented. The aim of this review is to highlight recent achievements in analytical applications of these MIPs, including present strategies of determination of different analytes as well as identification and solutions for problems encountered

Comparative Evaluation of the Antioxidant Capacity of Smoke Flavouring Phenols by Crocin Bleaching Inhibition, DPPH Radical Scavenging and Oxidation Potential

The antioxidant capacity of the main phenolic compounds present in wood smoke and smoke flavourings used in the food industry was investigated by three methods, based on a kinetic and thermodynamic approach: the bleaching of the carotenoid crocin, the scavenging of the DPPHradical, and the determination of the oxidation potential. The reaction with the DPPH radical was evaluated calculating the effective concentration (EC50) and the antiradical efficiency (AE). The compounds tested were 2-methoxyphenols (guaiacol, 4-methylguaiacol, 4-ethylguaiacol, 4-vinylguaiacol, 4-propylguaiacol, eugenol, isoeugenol, vanillin, acetovanillone, 2-propiovanillone), 2,6-dimethoxyphenols (syringol, 4-methylsyringol, 4-allylsyringol, syringaldehyde, acetosyringone) and dihydroxybenzenes (catechol, 3-methylcatechol, 4-methylcatechol, 3-methoxycatechol and hydroquinone). The trend in antioxidant capacity was similar in all the three methods, with dihydroxybenzenes > 2,6-dimethoxyphenols > 2-methoxyphenols, although some discrepancies in the ranking within the groups were present. Considering the overall ranking, isoeugenol was amongst the most active compound, like dihydroxybenzenes, evidencing the role of a conjugated double bond at para position for the stabilization of the phenoxyl radical in the radical scavenging process

Simultaneous RP-LC determination of additives in soft drinks

A reverse-phase HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of the main artificial sweeteners, preservatives and dyes present in soft drinks is proposed. It involves the use of a 10 mu m LiChrosorb RP18 column and a binary eluent consisting of aqueous 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH 4.0) added with methanol, according to a suitable gradient elution program. Good separations were obtained within less than 20-min run-time, with a satisfactory precision. The sensitivity of spectrophotometric detection was optimised by adopting a wavelength switching technique, thus achieving for all the additives considered detection limits ranging from 0.1 to 3.0 mg L-1, well below the maximum permitted levels. The method was applied to some commercial soft drinks, whose analysis required minimum pre-treatment before direct injection

A modified electrode for the electrochemical detection of biogenic amines and their amino acid precursors separated by microchip capillary electrophoresis

The use of a mixed-valent ruthenium oxide/hexacyanoruthenate polymeric film electrochemically deposited onto glassy carbon electrodes is proposed here for the detection of biogenic amines and their amino acid precursors, following their separation by microchip capillary electrophoresis. The ability of this ruthenium coating to electrocatalyze the oxidation of aliphatic and heterocyclic amines, as well as their amino acid precursors, was checked by using ethanolamine, tryptamine and tryptophane as prototype compounds and adopting a 25mM sulphuric acid as the electrolyte in the detection cell, where a constant potential of 1.05 V versus Ag/AgCl, 3M KCl was applied to the modified working electrode. Optimization of parameters affecting both detection and separation steps led to satisfactory separations when performed by using a 20mM phosphate running buffer (pH 2.5) and applying a high voltage of 2.5 kV both in the separation and in the electrokinetic injection (duration 4 s). The recorded peaks were characterized by good repeatability (RSDr3.6%), high sensitivity and a wide linear range. Detection limits of 23 mM (1.4 mg/L), 27 mM (4.3 mg/L) and 34 mM (6.8 mg/L) were inferred for ethanolamine, tryptamine and tryptophane, respectively. The approach proposed here was also applied for the analysis of some double malt dark beers spiked with a controlled amount of the analytes considered