Development of a Ce4W9O33 embedded functionalized halloysite nanotube nanocomposite for sensitive electrochemical detection of phenolic aldehyde vanillin in food matrices

A novel Cerium-Tungsten Heteropolyoxometalate intercalated on Halloysite Nanotubes (Ce 4 W 9 O 33 @f-HNT) nanocomposite was successfully synthesized using a hydrothermal method and utilized to construct an efficient electrochemical sensor. The complete structural, morphological, and surface analysis were performed using XRD, FT-IR, and XPS spectroscopy techniques, which confirmed the successful integration of Ce 4 W 9 O 33 species over the high-surface-area f-HNT framework. The prepared electrode exhibited high catalytic activity for the detection of vanillin, a critical food and pharmaceutical quality indicator, and its electrochemical behavior was systematically examined by EIS and CV analysis. The synergetic hybrid architecture developed considerably improved electron transfer kinetics and promoted electrocatalytic activity toward the oxidation of vanillin. The sensor showed excellent low Limit of Detection (LOD) of 0.8 nM. Practicality was confirmed through vanillin detection in various commercial food samples with good accuracy and versatility over a wide analytical range. The Ce 4 W 9 O 33 @f-HNT sensor as an excellent platform for real-time monitoring.