Electrochemical Sensing of Natural Compounds

Electrochemical sensing of natural compounds harnesses the interaction between analytes and electrode surfaces to transduce chemical information into electrical signals. This field has seen rapid growth owing to the ubiquity and potency of bioactive natural products—including polyphenols, flavonoids, essential oils and alkaloids—in sectors such as food safety, environmental monitoring and clinical diagnostics. Central to these advances is the engineering of electrode interfaces through incorporation of nanomaterials (for example carbon nanotubes, graphene and metal nanoparticles) and conductive polymers. Such modifications enhance surface area, electron-transfer kinetics and selectivity. Electropolymerisation of phenolic monomers yields functional films that confer molecular recognition, while simple fabrication techniques (for example paper-based devices and pencil-graphite electrodes) support low-cost, portable formats. Key performance metrics include sensitivity, defined by the change in current per unit concentration; detection limit, the lowest analyte concentration reliably quantifiable; and response time. Recent innovations emphasise sustainable materials, reagent-free operation and integration with digital platforms, paving the way for real-time, in-field analysis of natural compounds in complex matrices.

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Electrochemical Sensing of Natural Compounds publication trend

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

Technical terms

Electrochemical sensor: A device that converts chemical interactions at an electrode surface into an electrical signal for quantitative analysis.

Working electrode: The electrode at which the target analyte undergoes oxidation or reduction, generating the measurable response.

Electropolymerisation: An electrochemical method to deposit a polymeric film from monomeric species, often imparting selectivity or resistance to fouling.

Carbon nanotubes: Cylindrical graphene structures offering high surface area and electrical conductivity, commonly used to enhance sensor performance.

Detection limit: The smallest concentration of analyte that can be distinguished from the absence of the analyte with a defined level of confidence.

Sensitivity: The slope of the calibration curve, representing the change in sensor signal per unit change in analyte concentration.

References

1. An ecodesigned reagent-free paper-based electrochemical sensor modified with carbon black for the detection of essential oils. Green Analytical Chemistry (2025).
2. Layer-by-Layer Combination of MWCNTs and Poly(ferulic acid) as Electrochemical Platform for Hesperidin Quantification. Biosensors (2023).
3. Design and Application of Thymol Electrochemical Sensor Based on the PtNPs-CPOFs-MWCNTs Composite. Molecules (2023).