Pyrochlore stannate synthesis: Unlocking temperature's influence on electrochemical detection of caffeic acid in food samples

Abstract

The annealing temperature in metal oxide synthesis significantly influences material properties, impacting crystal structure, atom arrangement, morphology, and phase formation. Ytterbium stannate (Yb2(Sn2O7)), possessing a pyrochlore structure, was coprecipitated and denoted as YbSnO-X (X = 1 to 5), with annealing temperatures ranging from 400 to 1200 °C. Comprehensive analyses explored YbSnO-X properties for caffeic acid (CA), encompassing crystalline structure, morphology, particle size, thermal behavior, specific surface area, porosity, and sensing characteristics. When applied to a modified glassy carbon electrode, annealed YbSnO-X samples underwent assessment for kinetic parameters, maximum redox current, CA quantity influence, and electrolyte pH impact during voltammetry. The YbSnO-2 modified electrode displayed a 120 nM detection limit, showcasing heightened sensitivity and selectivity across various compounds. An evaluation of authentic CA-containing food samples illustrated superior recovery rates, confirming the effectiveness of optimized YbSnO-2 as an electrode modifier for electrochemical CA detection.