Electrochemical determination of ascorbic acid using carbon paste electrode modified with cobalt oxide nanoparticles

Abstract

The present work introduces a cobalt oxide nanoparticle-modified carbon paste electrode (Co<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf>/CPE) as a simple, low-cost, and efficient platform for the electrochemical determination of ascorbic acid. This study shows the excellent selectivity of the electrode against common interferents, linear detection range, low detection limit, and reproducibility, making it a promising substitute to expensive noble-metal-based sensors for real-sample ascorbic acid analysis. An eco-friendly novel electrochemical study is carried out to detect ascorbic acid (ACA) using a Congo red (CR) modified cobalt oxide nanoparticle (Co<inf>3</inf>O<inf>4</inf>) composite carbon paste electrode (CRMCCCPE). This CRMCCCPE significantly enhanced the electrochemical performance for the selective and sensitive analysis of ACA. The elemental analysis of the synthesised Co<inf>3</inf>O<inf>4</inf> by EDX (energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy), the phase structure through XRD (X-ray diffraction), and the absorbance peaks by Raman spectrometry with 37.41 nm. The surface topography by FESEM (field emission scanning electron microscopy). Voltammetric techniques and EIS (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) are investigated for the electrochemical redox response of ACA in phosphate buffer (PB) of 0.1 M concentration across the various ranges of pH at a 0.1 V/s scan rate. The ACA detection through the impact of pH, impact of scan rate, concentration, interference, simultaneous detection, and real sample analysis, indicating CV at 0.2 ?M to 2.4?M, DPV at 0.2 ?M to 2.6?M and LSV at 0.2 ?M to 2.4?M, with a lower limit of detection (LOD) were CV is 1.4 ??, DPV is 0.7 ?M, and LSV is 1.5 µ? and quantification (LOQ) was CV is 4.8 ?M, DPV is 2.6 µM, and LSV is 5.0 ?M. The fabricated CRMCCCPE exhibits the novelty of excellent stability, reproducibility, and repeatability, suggesting its potential application for the electrochemical recognition of ACA in complex matrices. The results indicate that CRMCCCPE is a reliable and effective platform for voltammetric sensing of ACA, offering promising applications in food quality control and medicinal diagnostics. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd.