Development and application of a sensitive, disposable and low-cost electrochemical sensing platform for an antimalarial drug: amodiaquine based on poly(calcein)-modified pencil graphite electrode

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this study, an electrochemical sensor towards the determination of an antimalarial drug, amodiaquine (Adqn), was performed. The proposed sensor was fabricated by electro-polymerisation of calcein (CCN) onto pencil graphite electrode (PGE). The electrochemical behaviour of 0.40 mM Adqn at both poly(calcein)-modified pencil graphite electrode (poly(CCN)/PGE) and bare PGE was evaluated in pH 3.0 Britton–Robinson buffer solution by cyclic voltammetry (CV) method. The voltammograms indicated that poly(CCN)/PGE presents a remarkable response towards oxidation and reduction of Adqn compared with PGE. The characterisation studies at poly(CCN)/PGE were performed by recording the electrochemical impedance curves, scanning electron microscopy images and energy-dispersive X-ray spectra. To determine the analytical performance of the poly(CCN)/PGE, the parameters such as linear range, limit of detection and sensitivity were determined based on the oxidation of Adqn by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) method and were calculated to be 0.50–25 µM, 0.16 µM and 20.566 µA µM−1, respectively. The recovery studies at poly(CCN)/PGE were carried out with various matrixes (tap water, artificial blood and maternal milk) by DPV-spike methods, and the high recovery values (99.2–100.6%) confirmed that poly(CCN)/PGE can be used towards sensitive and accurate determination of Adqn in different sample matrixes containing Adqn.