ABSTRACT
Residues of oxytetracycline (OTC), a veterinary antibiotic and growth promoter, can be present in animal-derived foods; their consumption is harmful to human health and their presence must therefore be detected and regulated. However, the maximum residue limit is low, and consequently highly sensitive and accurate detectors are required to detect the residues. In this study, a novel highly sensitive electrochemical sensor for the detection of OTC was developed using a screen-printed electrode modified with fluorine-doped activated carbon (F-AC/SPE) combined with a novel deep eutectic solvent (DES). The modification of activated carbon by doping with fluorine atoms (F-AC) enhanced the adsorption and electrical activity of the activated carbon. The novel hydrophobic DES was prepared from tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBABr) and a fatty acid (malonic acid) using a green synthesis method. The addition of the DES increased the electrochemical response of F-AC for OTC detection; furthermore, it induced preconcentration of OTC, which increased its detectability. The electrostatic interactions between DES and OTC as well as the adsorption of OTC on the surface of the modified electrode through H-bonding and π-π interactions helped in OTC detection, which was quantified based on the decrease in the anodic peak potential (E pa = 0.3 V) of AC. The electrochemical behavior of the modified electrode was investigated by cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Under optimum conditions, the calibration plot of OTC exhibited a linear response in the range 5-1500 µg L-1, with a detection limit of 1.74 µg L-1. The fabricated electrochemical sensor was successfully applied to determine the OTC in shrimp pond and shrimp samples with recoveries of 83.8-100.5% and 93.3-104.5%, respectively. In addition to the high sensitivity of OTC detection, the proposed electrochemical sensor is simple, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly.
ABSTRACT
A highly sensitive and novel electrochemical sensor for ciprofloxacin (CIP) has been developed using gold nanoparticles deposited with waste coffee ground activated carbon on glassy carbon electrode (AuNPs/AC/GCE) and combined with supramolecular solvent (SUPRAS). The fabricated AuNPs/AC/GCE displayed good electrocatalytic activity for AuNPs. The addition of SUPRAS, prepared from cationic surfactants namely didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB) and dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB), increased the electrochemical response of AuNPs. The detection of CIP was based on the decrease of the cathodic current of AuNPs. The electrochemical behavior of the modified electrode was investigated using cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Under optimum conditions, the calibration plot of CIP exhibited a linear response in the range 0.5-25 nM with a detection limit of 0.20 nM. The fabricated electrochemical sensor was successfully applied to determine CIP in milk samples with achieved recoveries of 78.6-110.2% and relative standard deviations of <8.4%. The developed method was also applied to the analysis of pharmaceutical formulation and the results were compared with high-performance liquid chromatography.Graphical abstract.
