Sensitive determination of quinoline yellow using poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) functionalized reduced graphene oxide modified grassy carbon electrode

•Highly-sensitive and selective electrochemical sensor was developed for detection of quinoline yellow.•Poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) functionalized reduced graphene oxide was used for electrode surface modification.•The proposed electrochemical sensor showed an excellent electrocatalytic oxidation towards quinoline yellow.•The proposed sensor had a wide detection range with a low detection limit.•The proposed sensor was used for detecting quinoline yellow in a soft drink.

A novel poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) functionalized reduced graphene oxide (PDDA-RGO) nanocomposite modified electrode was fabricated, and applied for the electrochemical determination of quinoline yellow (QY). The formation of PDDA-RGO nanocomposite was confirmed by SEM, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy. The electrocatalytic activity of PDDA-RGO nanocomposite to the oxidation of QY was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. Under the optimal conditions, the proposed sensor exhibited excellent electrochemical performance towards detection of QY. The linear range is from 0.01 to 10 μM, and the detection limit is down to 0.002 μM (S/N = 3). The proposed sensor also exhibited excellent anti-interference property, repeatability and stability. In addition, the proposed electrochemical sensor was successfully applied to determination of QY in soft drink.