Azithromycin Electrochemical Determination Using Vanadium Dioxide as Cathodic Material

Abstract

A novel modified electrode based on a vanadium dioxide (VO2) thin film was developed for the sensitive determination and to detect azithromycin (AZI) antibiotic. VO2 thin films were prepared by hydrothermal synthesis. The electrochemical properties of VO2 were estimated using voltammetric techniques. The electrochemical reaction between the modified electrode and AZI resulted in a considerable shift in the anodic peak current for the determination of the AZI. The limit of detection and sensitivity of the proposed procedure were also evaluated. The electrochemical study of the AZI was performed using square-wave voltammetry, cyclic voltammetry and scan rate variation. The suggested modified electrode showed good stability and sensitivity for AZI determination, with an analytical curve in different concentration of AZI of 1.0–80 μmol L−1. Under different concentrations of AZI, the values found for the limit of quantification and limit of detection were 2.12 and 0.64 mmol L−1 (in synthetic urine samples) and 42.5 and 14 mmol L−1 (milk samples), respectively. Moreover, it was demonstrated that by using a simple combination, the PET/ITO/VO2 thin film could be an optional system for applications in the analysis of pharmaceutical products, aquatic environments, and clinical samples (urine) or to examine food quality (milk samples) for the detection of AZI.