A MWCNTs-COOH/PSS nanocomposite–modified screen-printed electrode for the determination of synthetic phenolic antioxidants by HPLC with amperometric detection

New sensing platforms based on screen-printed carbon electrodes modified with composites based on polystyrene sulfonate and oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (PSS/MWCNTs-COOH/SPCE) have been used to develop a novel HPLC method with electrochemical detection (ECD) for the determination of the most used synthetic phenolic antioxidants in cosmetics: butylhydroxytoluene (BHT), butylhydroxyanisole (BHA), tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) and propyl gallate (PG). Optimal separation conditions were achieved using methanol: 0.10 mol L −1 acetate solution at pH 6 as mobile phase with a gradient elution program from 60 to 90% of methanol percentage in 15 min. The electrochemical detection was carried out in amperometric mode using the PSS/MWCNTs-COOH/SPCE at + 0.80 V vs. Ag. Under these optimal separation and detection conditions, the limits of detection (LOD) were between 0.11 and 0.25 mg L −1 . These LOD values were better, especially for BHT, than those previously published in other HPLC methods. Linear ranges from 0.37 mg L −1 , 0.83 mg L −1 , 0.69 mg L −1 and 0.56 mg L −1 to 10 mg L −1 were obtained for PG, TBHQ, BHA and BHT, respectively. RSD values equal or lower than 5% and 8% were achieved for repeatability and reproducibility, respectively. The HPLC-ECD method was successfully applied to analyze different cosmetic samples. Recovery values within 83–109% were obtained in the validation studies. Graphical Abstract