Electrochemical landscape for screening tetracycline in food samples using ruthenium(II) modified glassy carbon electrode

Tetracycline (TC), a commonly used antibiotic, plays a crucial role in veterinary medicine, where it is employed to treat various infectious diseases in animals. Given its widespread application, there is a need for advanced detection methods to identify residues of tetracycline in real samples like milk, egg, etc. Therefore, developing a sensitive electrochemical sensor capable of accurately detecting these residues in real samples is essential. In our research, we have synthesized an Ru (II) complex containing a hydrazide ligand (RONH) and characterized it using several techniques: Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), and single crystal X-ray diffraction (SC-XRD). Furthermore, we fabricated the synthesized Ru(II) complex (RONH) onto a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) using the drop casting method. This modification enhances the sensitivity and selectivity of the electrode (RONH/GCE) for the detection of tetracycline residues. Then the modified sensor's electrochemical performance was monitored for the detection of TC under optimized condition and in different concentrations using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV). The study demonstrated an excellent results, with a low limit of detection value of 0.009 μmol L −1 and quantification and as well as a stronger linear range from 1 μmol L −1 –10 μmol L −1 . The sensor also exhibited good selectivity and anti interference capabilities for TC detection. The modified sensor RONH/GCE showed a significant potential for TC residues sensing in milk, egg and egg albumin samples, achieving a favorable percentage recovery.