Modification of boron-doped diamond with gold nanoparticles and its preliminary study for electrosynthesis of vanillin

Abstract

Vanillin is generally synthesized from coniferin, cresol, ferulic acid, guaiacol, lignosulphonates, and vanillyl mandelic acid using oxidation-reduction methods with various chemicals and consecutive stages. These methods are less environmentally friendly due to their use of harmful compounds and the ineffective multistage process. In this study, we investigated electrochemical oxidation of isoeugenol to vanillin. A boron-doped diamond (BDD) modified by gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) was prepared for use as the working electrode, with sulfuric acid used as the electrolyte. Peak oxidation and reduction of BDD-AuNPs occurred at 1.20 V and 0.40 V, respectively, and a voltammetric range of -1.50 V to 1.50 V was applied to determine the potential oxidation of isoeugenol. The results indicated that the optimal pH for electrooxidation was 8, with potential oxidation occurring at 0.50 V.