Differential pulse voltammetric determination of nanomolar concentrations of antiviral drug acyclovir at polymer film modified glassy carbon electrode

Development and Fabrication of a Molecularly Imprinted Polymer-Based Electroanalytical Sensor for the Determination of Acyclovir

Acyclovir (ACV), a synthetic nucleoside derivative of purine, is one of the most potent antiviral medications recommended in the specific management of varicella-zoster and herpes simplex viruses. The molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was utilized to create an effective and specific electrochemical sensor using a straightforward photopolymerization process to determine ACV. The polymeric thin coating was developed using the template molecule ACV, a functional monomer acrylamide, a basic monomer 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, a cross-linker ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, and a photoinitiator 2-hydroxy-2-methyl propiophenone on the exterior of the glassy carbon electrode (GCE). Scanning electron microscopy, attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry were employed for the purpose of characterizing the constructed sensor (AM-ACV@MIP/GCE). Differential pulse voltammetry and a 5 mM ferrocyanide/ferricyanide ([Fe(CN)6]3-/4-) redox reagent were used to detect the ACV binding to the specific cavities on MIP. The study involves density functional theory (DFT) calculations, which were conducted to investigate template-functional monomer interactions thoroughly, calculate template-functional monomer interaction energies, and determine the optimal template/functional monomer ratio. DFT calculations were performed using Becke's three-parameter hybrid functional with the Lee-Yang-Parr correlation functional (B3LYP) method and 6-31G(d,p) basis set. The sensor exhibits linear performance throughout the concentration region 1 × 10-11 to 1 × 10-10 M, and the limit of detection and limit of quantification were 7.15 × 10-13 M and 2.38 × 10-12 M, respectively. For the electrochemical study of ACV, the sensor demonstrated high accuracy, precision, robustness, and a short detection time. Furthermore, the developed electrochemical sensor exhibited exceptional recovery in tablet dosage form and commercial human blood samples, with recoveries of 99.40 and 100.44%, respectively. The findings showed that the AM-ACV@MIP/GCE sensor would effectively be used to directly assess pharmaceuticals from actual specimens and would particularly detect ACV compared to structurally similar pharmaceutical compounds.

Electropolymerized Melamine on Electrochemically Reduced Graphene Oxide: Growth Mechanistics, Electrode Processing, and Amperometric Sensing of Acyclovir

Metal-free, cost-efficient, redox-active electrode materials, combining graphene derivatives with nitrogen-rich polymelamine (PM), are widely explored as an interface layer for electrocatalysis and an electrochemical sensor platform. However, conventional chemical routes often yield derivatives of PM suffering from impaired redox behavior, restricting their electron-transfer kinetics. Herein, an optimal potentiodynamic method has been established to electrodeposit PM on electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (ErGO). A supporting electrolyte, containing Cl^-, enhances the formation of intermediates NH₃⁺ and ═NH₂⁺ at the monomeric melamine, eventually interacting with the residual oxygenated functional groups of ErGO to form PM. In situ Raman spectrum analysis revealed the influence of the defective area and the graphitization ratio on the ErGO surface during the course of electropolymerization of melamine. Under optimal electrodeposition conditions (E = 0-1.6 V; ν = 0.1 V/s), the amount of electrodeposited PM on the ErGO surface was determined to be 16.5 μg/(cycle·cm²), using electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance analysis. An ErGO-PM-modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and a screen-printed electrode exhibit the direct electrooxidation of acyclovir (ACV). Amperometric analyses of ErGO-PM-modified electrodes exhibited the lowest detection limit of 137.4 pM with analytical robustness, rapid steady state, and reproducibility promising for ACV detection in complex biological matrices.

Detection of Residual 2-Phenylphenol on Lemon Rind by Electrochemically Deposited Poly(hydroxybenzaldehyde) and Poly(hydroxybenzoic acid) Polymeric Stackings as Electrode Modifiers

This study explores the characteristics of electrodeposition of the three hydroxybenzaldehyde isomers and selected hydroxybenzoic acids (4-hydroxybenzoic acid, salicylic acid, 3,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid) from mesityl oxide solvent. Similar to recent advances of this solvent, used by electrochemical studies, the carbon-carbon double bond had significant influence on the formation of polymers from the outlined molecules. In case of most substrates the peak currents increased to a steady-state but electropolymerization of some substrates caused significant deactivation. Scanning electron microscopic and complementary voltammetric studies facilitated that the electrochemically formed polymers are present on the electrode surface in stackings. In viewpoint of analysis of 2-phenylphenol, the modifying deposit formed from 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde was the best with 5 µM detection limit obtained with differential pulse voltammetry. Furthermore, a new procedure was chosen for the involvement of a cavitand derivative into the organic layers with the purpose to improve the layer selectivity (subsequent electrochemical polymerization in an other solution). Further studies showed that in this way the sensitivities of as-modified electrodes were a little worse than without this step, thus indicating that application of this step is disadvantageous. Recovery studies of 2-phenylphenol were carried out on lemon rind without any treatment, and it was compared with the case when the outer yellow layer was removed by rasping. The inner tissues showed very high adsorption affinity towards 2-phenylphenol.

Improved Performance for the Electrochemical Sensing of Acyclovir by Using the rGO–TiO2–Au Nanocomposite-Modified Electrode

An electrochemical sensor for sensitive sensing of acyclovir (ACV) was designed by using the reduced graphene oxide–TiO₂–Au nanocomposite-modified glassy carbon electrode (rGO–TiO₂–Au/GCE). Transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometer, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to confirm morphology, structure, and composition properties of the rGO–TiO₂–Au nanocomposites. Cyclic voltammetry and linear sweep voltammetry were used to demonstrate the analytical performance of the rGO–TiO₂–Au/GCE for ACV. As a result, rGO–TiO₂–Au/GCE exerted the best response for the oxidation of ACV under the pH of 6.0 PB solution, accumulation time of 80 s at open-circuit, and modifier amount of 7 µl. The oxidation peak currents of ACV increased linearly with its concentration in the range of 1–100 µM, and the detection limit was calculated to be 0.3 µM (S/N = 3). The determination of ACV concentrations in tablet samples also demonstrated satisfactory results.

Critical Review of Synthesis, Toxicology and Detection of Acyclovir

Acyclovir (ACV) is an effective and selective antiviral drug, and the study of its toxicology and the use of appropriate detection techniques to control its toxicity at safe levels are extremely important for medicine efforts and human health. This review discusses the mechanism driving ACV’s ability to inhibit viral coding, starting from its development and pharmacology. A comprehensive summary of the existing preparation methods and synthetic materials, such as 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide, guanine and its derivatives, and other purine derivatives, is presented to elucidate the preparation of ACV in detail. In addition, it presents valuable analytical procedures for the toxicological studies of ACV, which are essential for human use and dosing. Analytical methods, including spectrophotometry, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), electrochemical sensors, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), and flow injection–chemiluminescence (FI-CL) are also highlighted. A brief description of the characteristics of each of these methods is also presented. Finally, insight is provided for the development of ACV to drive further innovation of ACV in pharmaceutical applications. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the past life and future challenges of ACV.

Analytical Methods for Determination of Antiviral Drugs in Different Matrices: Recent Advances and Trends

Viruses are the main pathogenic substances that cause severe diseases in humans and other living things. They are among the most common microorganisms, and consequently, antiviral drugs have emerged to prevent and treat viral infections. Antiviral drugs are an essential drug group considering their prescription and consumption rates for different diseases and indications. Therefore, it is crucial to develop accurate and precise analytical methods to detect antiviral drugs in various matrices. Chromatographic techniques are used frequently for the quantification purpose since they allow simultaneous determination of antivirals. Electrochemical methods have also gained importance since the analysis can be performed quickly without the need for pretreatment. Spectrophotometric and spectrofluorimetric methods are used because they are simple, inexpensive, and less time-consuming methods. The purpose of this review is to present an overview of the analysis of currently used antiviral drugs from 2010 to 2021. Since studies on antiviral drugs are numerous, selected publications were reviewed in this article. The analysis of antiviral drugs was divided into three main groups: chromatographic, spectrometric, and electrochemical methods which were applied to different matrices, including pharmaceutical, biological, and environmental samples.

Electrochemical Sensors Based on Conducting Polymers for the Aqueous Detection of Biologically Relevant Molecules

Electrochemical sensors appear as low-cost, rapid, easy to use, and in situ devices for determination of diverse analytes in a liquid solution. In that context, conducting polymers are much-explored sensor building materials because of their semiconductivity, structural versatility, multiple synthetic pathways, and stability in environmental conditions. In this state-of-the-art review, synthetic processes, morphological characterization, and nanostructure formation are analyzed for relevant literature about electrochemical sensors based on conducting polymers for the determination of molecules that (i) have a fundamental role in the human body function regulation, and (ii) are considered as water emergent pollutants. Special focus is put on the different types of micro- and nanostructures generated for the polymer itself or the combination with different materials in a composite, and how the rough morphology of the conducting polymers based electrochemical sensors affect their limit of detection. Polypyrroles, polyanilines, and polythiophenes appear as the most recurrent conducting polymers for the construction of electrochemical sensors. These conducting polymers are usually built starting from bifunctional precursor monomers resulting in linear and branched polymer structures; however, opportunities for sensitivity enhancement in electrochemical sensors have been recently reported by using conjugated microporous polymers synthesized from multifunctional monomers.

Voltammetric Pathways for the Analysis of Ophthalmic Drugs

Background:

This review investigates the ophthalmic drugs that have been studied with voltammetry in the web of science database in the last 10 years.

Introduction:

Ophthalmic drugs are used in the diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of various ophthalmological diseases and conditions. A significant literature has emerged in recent years that investigates determination of these active compounds via electroanalytical methods, particularly voltammetry. Low cost, rapid determination, high availability, efficient sensitivity and simple application make voltammetry one of the most used methods for determining various kinds of drugs including ophthalmic ones.

Methods:

In this particular review, we searched the literature via the web of science database for ophthalmic drugs which are investigated with voltammetric techniques using the keywords of voltammetry, electrochemistry, determination and electroanalytical methods.

Results:

We found 33 types of pharmaceuticals in nearly 140 articles. We grouped them clinically into seven major groups as antibiotics, antivirals, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-glaucomatous drugs, steroidal drugs, local anesthetics and miscellaneous. Voltammetric techniques, electrodes, optimum pHs, peak potentials, limit of detection values, limit of quantification values, linearity ranges, sample type and interference effects were compared.

Conclusion:

Ophthalmic drugs are widely used in the clinic and it is important to determine trace amounts of these species analytically. Voltammetry is a preferred method for its ease of use, high sensitivity, low cost, and high availability for the determination of ophthalmic drugs as well as many other medical drugs. The low limits of detection values indicate that voltammetry is quite sufficient for determining ophthalmic drugs in many media such as human serum, urine and ophthalmic eye drops.

Electrochemical antioxidant screening and evaluation based on guanine and chitosan immobilized MoS2 nanosheet modified glassy carbon electrode (guanine/CS/MoS2/GCE)

In this study, an electrochemical biosensor based on guanine and chitosan immobilized MoS2 nanosheet modified glassy carbon electrode (guanine/CS/MoS2/GCE) was developed and employed for antioxidant screening and antioxidant capacity evaluation. The oxidation peak current of guanine was improved and nearly tripled after modifications of chitosan and MoS2 nanosheet. The immobilized guanine could be damaged by hydroxyl radicals generated in Fenton solution. However, in the presence of antioxidants, the guanine was protected and the oxidation peak current of guanine increased. This process mimics the mechanism of antioxidant protection in human body. The factors affecting preparation of sensor and detection of antioxidant capacity were optimized. At the optimum conditions, the guanine/CS/MoS2/GCE showed wide linear range, low detection limit, satisfactory reproducibility and stability for detection. Ascorbic acid was used as a model antioxidant to evaluate the antioxidant capacity. A good linearity was observed with a correlation coefficient of 0.9959 in the concentrations between 0.5 and 4.0 mg L-1. The antioxidant capacities of three flavonoids were also tested and the rank of antioxidant capacities was ascorbic acid (51.84%), quercetin (45.82%), fisetin (34.39%) and catechin (16.99%). Due to the rapid measurement and low cost, this sensor could provide an available sensing platform for antioxidant screening and evaluation.

Electrochemical preparation of two nanostructured poly(sulfosalicylic acid) films with different morphologies and properties for selective sensing of dopamine: Comparative study

Two nanostructured poly(sulfosalicylic acid) (PSA) films were synthesized from room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) or aqueous solution on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) via potentiodynamic electropolymerization. The morphology and properties of the PSA films were characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), scanning probe microscopy (SPM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). It was found that solvent had a major influence on the morphology and electrochemical properties of the resultant PSA films. The PSA(Ι) film, which was prepared from RTIL, consists of granular particles with cracks, whereas the PSA(II) film prepared from aqueous solution consists of nano-triangles with a more compact surface. The blocking effect of the PSA(Ι) film for the [Fe(CN)₆]^3-/4- electrochemical probe is much stronger, and a remarkably enhanced voltammetric response of the [Ru(NH₃)₆]³⁺ electrochemical probe can be observed for the PSA(II) film. When it is used to detect dopamine in the presence of a high concentration of ascorbic acid, PSA(II)/GCE has three linear parts with better discrimination and a detection limit of 0.03μM. For PSA(Ι)/GCE, there are two linear parts with a detection limit of 0.05μM. However, the reproducibility and storage stability of PSA(Ι)/GCE are better than those of PSA(ΙI)/GCE.