Rapid voltammetric detection of kojic acid at a multi-walled carbon nanotubes screen-printed electrode

•The voltammetric behavior of kojic acid at a disposable MWCNTs screen-printed electrode was studied.•A simple and sensitive voltammetric method for kojic acid determination was developed.•The obtained detection limit for kojic acid was 0.016 mM by using DPV.•The developed voltammetric method was compared with chromatographic and spectrometric method.•The method is a cheap tool for rapid kojic acid content analysis of vinegar samples.

A differential pulse voltammetric method for the determination of kojic acid (KA) was developed. The electrochemical behavior of KA at a multi-walled carbon nanotubes modified screen-printed electrode (MWCNTs-SPCE) was explored. A single irreversible oxidation peak was observed at a potential of 0.791 V and 0.989 V on the MWCNTs-SPCE and screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE), respectively. Under the optimized conditions, the anodic peak current of KA recorded by differential pulse voltammetry varies linearly with KA concentration in the range 0.02-5 mM with a detection limit of 0.016 mM. The MWCNTs-SPCE was used for quantitative analysis of KA in food samples and the results indicate the feasibility of the amperometric method for KA analysis in routine detection.

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