Electrochemical Investigation of Basic Fuchsin: Development of a BF-Doped CMC Electrode for Copper Ion Detection

Abstract Basic Fuchsin (BF), a triphenylmethane dye, exhibits notable redox properties that can be leveraged for electrochemical applications, including metal ion sensing. This study explores the electrochemical behavior of BF and its complexation with copper ions (Cu 2 ⁺) using cyclic voltammetry (CV). The impact of pH, solvent composition, and electrolyte type on the redox activity of BF was systematically investigated. A BF-doped carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) glass electrode was fabricated and tested for its effectiveness in detecting Cu 2 ⁺ ions. Results indicate that BF undergoes pH-dependent redox transformations and exhibits strong complexation with Cu 2 ⁺, enhancing its potential for selective sensing applications. The BF-CMC electrode demonstrated high sensitivity (limit of detection: 0.12 µM) and good selectivity in detecting trace copper levels, with a linear detection range of 0.5–25 µM, even in real samples such as dark chocolate, underscoring its potential for environmental monitoring and food safety applications and environmental monitoring (Zhao et al. 2023).