Electrochemical sensing of acetaminophen using a practical carbon paste electrode modified with a graphene oxide-Y2O3 nanocomposite

Abstract

Abstract In the present work, the modification of a carbon paste electrode with a graphene oxide-Y2O3 nanocomposite (CPE/GO-Y) and its use as a sensor for acetaminophen (AC) in a phosphate buffer solution (pH = 7) are discussed. The composite was synthesized by a hydrothermal process and characterized by XRD, UV–vis and FTIR spectroscopies. The electrochemical behavior between AC and the electrode was investigated by cyclic voltammetry, amperometry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and differential pulse voltammetry. The CPE/GO-Y nanocomposite exhibited both good electrochemical performance and sensitivity in the determination of AC. It was found that the peak current obtained by differential pulse voltammetry was increased linearly along with the AC concentration in the interval ranging from 7 to 400 µM (R2 = 0.9957) with a calculated detection limit of 1.45 µM. The CPE/GO-Y presents several advantages such as a simple preparation method, rapid response, good sensitivity and low detection limit. The sensor was evaluated in the determination of AC in a commercial pharmaceutical sample and in a mixture of AC and naproxen with satisfactory results.