A simple voltammetric sensor was first constructed by dripping graphene (GR) on to the glass carbon electrode (GCE) and subsequently electro-polymerizing L-cysteine film. The sensor had a good voltammetric response to amaranth and linear in the range of 1.0 × 10-8-1.0 × 10-6 mol L-1. The detection limit of amaranth was 4.0 × 10-9 mol L-1 (S/N = 3). Using this method, we successfully obtained satisfactory results of amaranth in confectionery wastewater. This work promoted the potential applications of amino acid materials and GR in environmental pollution science.
Keywords: Environmental pollution; amaranth; graphene; voltammetric sensor; wastewater.