Electrochemiluminescent properties of carbon nitride nanoflowers and their application to the detection of melatonin in foods

Shuangshuang Tian; Liqiang Chen; Jinghua Zhang; Hong Zhang; Liangquan Sheng; Xinxin Wang; Deqian Huang

doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.139162

Electrochemiluminescent properties of carbon nitride nanoflowers and their application to the detection of melatonin in foods

Food Chem. 2024 Aug 1:448:139162. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.139162. Epub 2024 Mar 28.

Authors

Shuangshuang Tian¹, Liqiang Chen¹, Jinghua Zhang¹, Hong Zhang², Liangquan Sheng², Xinxin Wang¹, Deqian Huang³

Affiliations

¹ School of Chemistry and Material Engineering, Fuyang Normal University, Anhui, Fuyang 236037, PR China.
² School of Chemistry and Material Engineering, Fuyang Normal University, Anhui, Fuyang 236037, PR China; Engineering Research Centre of Biomass Conversion and Pollution Prevention Control of Anhui Provincial Department of Education, Fuyang Normal University, Anhui, Fuyang 236037, PR China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory for Degradation and Monitoring of Pollution of the Environment, Fuyang Normal University, Anhui, Fuyang 236037, PR China.
³ School of Chemistry and Material Engineering, Fuyang Normal University, Anhui, Fuyang 236037, PR China; Engineering Research Centre of Biomass Conversion and Pollution Prevention Control of Anhui Provincial Department of Education, Fuyang Normal University, Anhui, Fuyang 236037, PR China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory for Degradation and Monitoring of Pollution of the Environment, Fuyang Normal University, Anhui, Fuyang 236037, PR China. Electronic address: huangdeqian@163.com.

PMID: 38579557
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.139162

Abstract

Carbon nitride nanoflower materials (CNNFs) modified electrodes were prepared and used as electrochemiluminescence (ECL) sensors for the sensitive detection of melatonin (MT) in food. The luminescence intensity of CNNFs is increased by 4.6 times compared with bulk g-C₃N₄. In addition, the effect of dissolved oxygen on the material was eliminated, and the stability of ECL intensity of CNNFs was improved. Under the optimal experimental conditions, there is a good linear relationship between the ECL intensity ratio and logC_MT in a concentration range of 2.0 × 10^-11-1.0 × 10^-6 mol/L, and the detection limit is 6.2 × 10^-13 mol/L. This experiment has been successfully used for the detection of MT in rice, black rice, oats, apples, bananas, grapes, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, bread, and beers. The results are consistent with those obtained by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Therefore, this sensor is a sensitive and effective method for detecting MT content in food.

Keywords: Carbon nitride nanoflowers; Electrochemiluminescence; Food; Melatonin.