A novel electrochemical sensor for selective determination of theophylline in pharmaceutical formulations

Implementation of cytochrome c proteins and carbon nanotubes hybrids in bioelectrodes towards bioelectrochemical systems applications

Multiheme cytochrome c (Cyt c) can function as a redox protein on electrode to accomplish bioelectrocatalysis. However, the direct electron transfer (DET) between the redox site of Cyt c and electrode is low due to the large coupling distance. A close proximity or a connection pathway from the deeply buried active site to the protein surface can be established by modifying the electrode with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to improve the DET. Therefore, the isolated Cyt c has been assembled or casted with CNTs by various processes to form Cyt c-CNTs bioelectrodes that can be further applied to biosensing and bioanalysis. These strategies can be transplanted to the fabrication of biofilm-CNTs based electrodes by complexing the out membrane (OM) Cyt c of natural electricigen with CNTs to realize the application of the electrochemical properties of "in vivo" Cyt c to bioelectrochemical systems (BESs). This review intends to highlight the preparation strategies of bioelectrodes that have been well studied in electrochemical biosensors and improving approaches of the DET from the CNTs surface to Cyt c in their hybrids. The efficient fabrication processes of the biofilm-CNTs based electrodes that can be considered as "in vivo" Cyt c-CNTs based electrodes for BES designs are also summarized, aiming to provide an inspiration source and a reference to the related studies of BES downstream.

An Electrochemical Sensor of Theophylline on a Boron-Doped Diamond Electrode Modified with Nickel Nanoparticles

Theophylline is a drug with a narrow therapeutic range. Electrochemical sensors are a potentially effective method for detecting theophylline concentration to prevent toxicity. In this work, a simple modification of a boron-doped diamond electrode using nickel nanoparticles was successfully performed for a theophylline electrochemical sensor. The modified electrode was characterized using a scanning electron microscope and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Square wave voltammetry and cyclic voltammetry methods were used to study the electrochemical behavior of theophylline. The modified nickel nanoparticles on the boron-doped diamond electrode exhibited an electrochemically active surface area of 0.0081 cm2, which is larger than the unmodified boron-doped diamond's area of 0.0011 cm2. This modified electrode demonstrated a low limit of detection of 2.79 µM within the linear concentration range from 30 to 100 µM. Moreover, the modified boron-doped diamond electrode also showed selective properties against D-glucose, ammonium sulfate, and urea. In the real sample analysis using artificial urine, the boron-doped diamond electrode with nickel nanoparticle modifications achieved a %recovery of 105.10%, with a good precision of less than 5%. The results of this work indicate that the developed method using nickel nanoparticles on a boron-doped diamond electrode is promising for the determination of theophylline.

An ultra-sensitive rifampicin electrochemical sensor based on Fe3O4 nanoparticles anchored Multiwalled Carbon nanotube modified glassy carbon electrode

This study aimed to guide future sensor studies against other pharmaceutical drugs by synthesizing Fe₃O₄NPs@MWCNT metallic nanoparticles (NPs). Side damage caused by excessive accumulation of tuberculosis drugs in the body can cause clots in the organs, and cause serious damage such as heart attack and respiratory failure, and threaten human life. Therefore, the development of sensors sensitive to various antibiotics in this study is important for human health. In this study, the sensitivity of Fe₃O₄ NPs to tuberculosis drug (rifampicin) was evaluated by catalytic reaction using bare/GCE, MWCNT/GCE, and Fe₃O₄NPs@MWCNT/GCE electrodes. First of all, Fe₃O₄ NPs were successfully synthesized for the study and MWCNT/GCE and Fe₃O₄ NPs@MWCNT/GCE electrodes were formed with the modification of the MWCNT support material. It was observed that the Fe₃O₄ NPs@MWCNT/GCE electrode gave the highest signal against the other electrodes. The morphological structure of Fe₃O₄ NPs was determined by various characterization techniques such as Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Fourier Transmission Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis), and X-ray differential (XRD) and the obtained NPs were used for sensor studies, and it was observed that the current intensity increased as the scanning speed of each electrode increased in CV and DPV measurements. The average size of Fe₃O₄ NPs was found to be 7.32 ± 3.2 nm. Anodic current peaks occurred in the linear range of 2-25 μM. According to the results obtained from the measurements, the limit of detection (LOD) value was calculated as 0.64 μM limit of quantification (LOQ) 1.92 μM.

EDTA salt modified carbon paste electrode for square wave voltammetric determination of theophylline in pharmaceutical tablet formulation

In this study, a square wave voltammetric method for determination of theophylline in tablet formulation based on EDTA salt modified carbon paste electrode is presented. CV, FT-IR, and EIS results confirmed modification of the carbon paste with EDTA salt. In contrast to the unmodified carbon paste electrode, the modified carbon paste electrode showed irreversible oxidation of theophylline with considerable current enhancement. Investigation of the effect of scan rate on the Ip and Ep response of the modified electrode for theophylline revealed predominantly diffusion controlled oxidation kinetics. Under the optimized conditions, square wave oxidative peak current of theophylline in pH 7.0 PBS showed linear dependence on concentration in the range 10–200 μM with determination coefficient (R²), limit of detection, and limit of quantification of 0.99782, 0.0257 μM, and 0.0857 μM, respectively. Detection of an amount of theophylline in the analyzed tablet formulation with 1.85% error from its nominal content (120 mg/tablet) confirmed the accuracy of the developed method. Spike and interference recovery results of 98.59%, and 95.7–100%, respectively validated the applicability of the developed method for determination of theophylline content in tablet samples.

Novel Electrochemical Sensor for Rifampicin based on Ionic Liquid Functionalised TiO2 Nanoparticles

Aim::

The main strategy of this study is to develop a novel ionic liquid functionalised metal nanocomposite based electrochemical sensor with potential applications for the sensitive electrochemical detection of rifampicin.

Background::

Tuberculosis (TB) is a widespread disease that is caused by the gram-positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). In addition, for several decades TB has become a constant threat to human health, however due to the accessibility of broad-spectrum antibiotics (rifampicin, pyrazinamide, isoniazid, and ethambutol), which are active against the bacterium, the social and economic burden for sufferers from the illness remains to be huge. Specially, in countries, like India and sub Saharan Africa, it is one of the common diseases affecting members from all age groups. So, this work is aimed at developing a novel electrochemical sensor for the determination of rifampicin (RIF) in pharmaceutical samples.

Objective::

To synthesis and characterization of the novel liquid functionalised metal nanocomposite. Fabrication of glassy carbon electrode with potent electrode modifiers whose applicability as electro catalysis agents towards rifampicin is investigated.

Method::

In this work, a nanocomposite based on trihexyltetradecylphosphonium-bis-(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)-phosphinate ([P14, 6, 6, 6] [(C8H17)2 PO2)]) ionic liquid functionalised titanium oxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were used in the modification of a highly sensitive electrochemical sensor for quantification of rifampicin in pharmaceutical formulations. The modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) were characterised by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD).

Results::

The electrochemical behaviour of RIF was studied on the modified electrode by the cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) techniques. At pH 6.0 in phosphate buffer solution (PBS), the anodic peak current value of RIF obtained with the fabricated electrode is 7 times greater than with the bare GCE electrode. The anodic peak current value and concentration of RIF showed a good linear relationship in the range of 0.015–2.8 μM, with the limit of detection (LOD) of 0.0218 μM and limit of quantification (LOQ) 0.3120 μM respectively.

Conclusion::

Under the optimal conditions, the IL-f-TiO2NPs-MWCNTs-GCE provided a relatively lower detection limit and wider linear range compared to other previous procedures. The proposed electrochemical sensor had potent catalytic activity for RIF oxidation and provided important quantitatively reproducible analytical performance. Finally, this modified electrode was successfully applied to the determination of RIF in real pharmaceutical samples.

Design and Synthesis of Conducting Polymer Bio-Based Polyurethane Produced from Palm Kernel Oil

Polyurethane (PU) is a unique polymer that has versatile processing methods and mechanical properties upon the inclusion of selected additives. In this study, a freestanding bio-based polyurethane film the screen-printed electrode (SPE) was prepared by the solution casting technique, using acetone as solvent. It was a one-pot synthesis between major reactants, namely, palm kernel oil-based polyol and 4,4-methylene diisocyanate. The PU has strong adhesion on the SPE surface. The synthesized bio-based polyurethane was characterized using thermogravimetry analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), surface area analysis by field emission scanning electron microscope, and cyclic voltammetry. Cyclic voltammetry was employed to study electrocatalytic properties of SPE-polyurethane towards oxidation of PU. Remarkably, SPE-PU exhibited improved anodic peak current as compared to SPE itself using the differential pulse voltammetry method. Furthermore, the formation of urethane linkages (-NHC(O) backbone) after polymerization was analyzed using FTIR and confirmed by the absence of peak at 2241 cm-1 attributed to the sp-hydridized carbons atoms of C≡C bonds. The glass transition temperature of the polyurethane was detected at 78.1°C.

Si/TiO2/Ag Multistorey Structures with Interfacial Charge Transfer for a Recyclable Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Substrate

In this work, highly ordered TiO₂/Ag bilayer structures on p-type silicon (Si) wafers are prepared by photolithography and electrochemical self-assembly methods. The interfacial charge transfer (CT) of this Si/TiO₂/Ag multistorey structure with a specially aligned work function is studied. This is important to deduce the interfacial electron migration behavior of SERS. The three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (3D FDTD) simulation is used to explore the combined CT-EM enhancement mechanism. The result shows that the electron movement under the CT mechanism can induce the resonance effect of free electrons to further improve EM performance. In addition, the effect of agglomerated Ag nanoparticle size distribution on the SERS property and the self-cleaning property of Si/TiO₂/Ag multistorey structures is investigated. Finally, this unique structure of highly ordered Si/TiO₂/Ag SERS substrate shows superior sensitivity, reproducibility, and stability. Rhodamine 6G (R6G) with trace concentrations as low as 10^-15 M can be detected, and the EF is estimated to be about 8.9 × 10¹³. The relative standard deviation (RSD) at 1511 cm^-1 is about 4.7%. These results are very promising for the practical application of the SERS technique in the rapid trace determination in many fields.

Novel dual-template molecular imprinted electrochemical sensor for simultaneous detection of CA and TPH based on peanut twin-like NiFe2O4/CoFe2O4/NCDs nanospheres: Fabrication, application and DFT theoretical study

Hollow peanut-shaped NiFe₂O₄/CoFe₂O₄ twinned nano-spherical shell composite materials have interconnected electron channels and excellent electrochemical performance, which prompted the use of this unique spatial structure to fabricate efficient electrochemical sensors. In this work, N-doped carbon dots (NCDs) incorporated into magnetic NiFe₂O₄/CoFe₂O₄ nanoparticle shell (NiFe₂O₄/CoFe₂O₄/NCDs) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was applied to construct a dual-template molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) based electrochemistry sensor (NiFe₂O₄/CoFe₂O₄/NCDs/MIP/GCE) for the simultaneous detection of catechin (CA) and theophylline (TPH). MIP was fabricated by an in-situ electrochemical polymerization strategy based on the theoretical exploration and density functional theory (DFT) computer directional simulation to screen out the optimal functional monomer (L-arginine) and the optimal ratio between the dual template molecules (CA and TPH) and functional monomer. The materials were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, XPS, and TGA. Besides, electron binding energy, binding constant, and imprinting factor were investigated. With the optimal conditions, the proposed electrochemical dual detection system showed outstanding analytical performance for the simultaneous sensing of CA and TPH, with an ultralow detection limit (LOD, S/N = 3) of 1.3 nM for CA in 0.01-1 μM (R² = 0.9956) and 1-50 μM (R² = 0.9928), as well as a LOD of 20.0 nM for TPH in the linear range of 0.1-100 μM (R² = 0.9939), respectively. Also, the selectivity and anti-interference performances of the fabricated sensor were performed by differential pulse voltammetry and chronoamperometry, and successfully detected the analyte from tea drinks and human urine samples with the recovery rates ranging from 98.22% to 104.76% and relative standard deviations (RSD) were 1.19%-3.81%, demonstrated the sensor has excellent stability, repeatability, and reproducibility, which paves the way for other platforms to use this nanomaterial for the detection of antioxidant in the filed food safety.

Cytochrome c/Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode for the Detection of Streptomycin in Pharmaceutical Samples

A novel electrochemical glassy carbon electrode modified with a multi-walled carbon nanotube, cytochrome c (Cyt c) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) was fabricated to increase the sensitivity of electrode for the detection of streptomycin (STN) in certain pharmaceutical samples. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry techniques were used for an electrochemical characterization of the electrode. Furthermore, the electrochemical biosensor construction phases were examined by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Under the optimal experimental conditions, the electrode offers a high selectivity and sensitivity signaling in the co-existence method of STN with the linear concentration ranging from 0.02 to 2.2 μM. The detection limits (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were found to be 0.0028 and 0.0562 μM, respectively. The fabricated sensing electrode has good stability, reproducibility and sensitivity towards STN in the pharmaceutical samples. Preliminary determinations of binding sites within the specified grid box size, which covers both Cyt c and STN, were done by molecular docking analysis. Moreover, density functional theory (DFT) computations were performed to provide insightful information into the optimized geometry of STN.

Penicillin biosensor based on rhombus-shaped porous carbon/hematoxylin/penicillinase

In this experiment, we designed an electrochemical sensor using penicillinase (Pen X)-rhombus porous carbon (RPC) as the detection element and hematoxylin as the indicator to detect low concentrations of penicillin sodium (Pen G). A differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) method was used to detect Pen G in the concentration range of 10^-8 -10^-5 mg·mL^-1 under optimal experimental conditions. The results showed that the peak current value and the logarithm of Pen G concentration showed a good linear relationship (R² = 0.9915), and the LOD was 2.68 × 10^-7 mg·mL^-1 (S/N = 3). The actual milk samples were detected by the addition method and compared with the high-performance liquid phase method; no significant difference was found in the detection results. The working electrode prepared by cross-linking method not only extends the service life of the sensor, but also improves the sensitivity and reproducibility of the sensor. It can also be used to detect the Pen G residue in the actual milk samples repeatedly. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: In this study, an electrochemical sensor for the rapid detection of penicillin sodium in milk was prepared, which has good sensitivity and fast detection speed.