Electrochemical Detection and Biosensing of Phenolic Compounds

Phenolic compounds, widely present in plants, foods and industrial effluents, are prized for their antioxidant properties yet pose environmental and health concerns at elevated levels. Electrochemical detection and biosensing leverage redox reactions at modified electrode surfaces to deliver rapid, sensitive and cost-effective quantification of these analytes. Techniques such as cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry and amperometry enable real-time monitoring with low limits of detection. The integration of biological recognition elements—most notably enzymes like laccase or tyrosinase—with nanostructured transducers affords high selectivity under mild conditions. Advances in electrode modification, including carbon nanomaterials, metal oxides and conductive polymers, have expanded the dynamic range and stability of sensors. Such platforms find applications in food quality control, environmental monitoring of water bodies and clinical biomarker analysis, underscoring their global significance.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have demonstrated the power of nanostructured carbon frameworks and enzymatic interfaces. One report presents a nitrogen-doped carbon material deposited on a glassy carbon electrode, achieving ultra-low detection limits for caffeic acid across a broad linear range and excellent selectivity in red wine matrices. Another development describes a screen-printed carbon electrode modified with a graphene-cellulose microfiber composite immobilising laccase; this biosensor exhibited a seven-fold increase in catalytic current toward catechol, rapid response times and robust discrimination against interfering phenolics in water samples.

Electrochemical Detection and Biosensing of Phenolic Compounds publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in electrochemical detection and biosensing of phenolic compounds across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Voltammetry: Electrochemical technique measuring current response as potential is varied to characterise redox processes.
Amperometry: Analytical method that quantifies analytes by recording current at a fixed potential over time.
Biosensor: Device combining a biological recognition element with a transducer to produce a measurable signal proportional to analyte concentration.
Laccase: Multicopper oxidase enzyme that catalyses the oxidation of phenolic substrates, often employed in biosensing.
Nanomaterial-modified electrode: Electrode whose surface is engineered with nanoparticles or nanostructures to enhance sensitivity, selectivity and electron transfer kinetics.

References

1. Laccase-based biosensors for detection of phenolic compounds. TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry (2015).
2. A voltammetric determination of caffeic acid in red wines based on the nitrogen doped carbon modified glassy carbon electrode. Scientific Reports (2017).
3. A novel Laccase Biosensor based on Laccase immobilized Graphene-Cellulose Microfiber Composite modified Screen-Printed Carbon Electrode for Sensitive Determination of Catechol. Scientific Reports (2017).
4. Electrochemical Sensor for Determination of Various Phenolic Compounds in Wine Samples Using Fe3O4 Nanoparticles Modified Carbon Paste Electrode. Micromachines (2021).
5. Interaction between Amorphous Zirconia Nanoparticles and Graphite: Electrochemical Applications for Gallic Acid Sensing Using Carbon Paste Electrodes in Wine. Nanomaterials (2020).
6. Sensitive Electrochemical Detection of Caffeic Acid in Wine Based on Fluorine-Doped Graphene Oxide. Sensors (2019).