Electrochemical detection of the antiprotozoal drug dimetridazole using κ-carrageenan functionalized gadolinium tin oxide nanoparticles

Abstract

Dimetridazole (DMZ) is an antimicrobial drug used to treat bacterial and protozoan infections in humans and poultry farms. An excessive dosage of DMZ can be life-threatening, as it has carcinogenic effects. Hence, ensuring that DMZ remains at a very low level in the environment is essential for day-to-day human life. Herein, we report the development of a novel biocomposite using κ-carrageenan (κ-CGN) functionalized with gadolinium tin oxide nanoparticles (NPs), κ-CGN/GdSnO2NPs, for the effective electrochemical detection of DMZ. The biocomposites, κ-GCN/GdSnO2NPs, were successfully synthesized by the sonochemical method, and their structural features were evaluated using various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. A glassy carbon electrode was coated with the synthesized κ-CGN/GdSnO2NPs, it was used as an electrode surface modifier material for the detection of DMZ, and it exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity. In addition, the modified electrode showed many advantages, such as a lower detection limit (3.1 nM), wide linear range (0.019–708.8 µM), good sensitivity (0.62 µA µM−1 cm−2), and high selectivity in the presence of co-interfering species. The designed κ-CGN/GdSnO2NPs-based composite material can contribute to outstanding sensor performance in aquatic samples because of its repeatability, reproducibility, storage stability, and satisfactory accuracy. Therefore, κ-CGN/GdSnO2NPs could be used to develop potential electrode modifier materials for electrochemical sensor applications and to detect toxic components, such as DMZ, in environmental aquatic samples.