Innovative approach for trace level detection of mefenamic acid by ferrite nanocomposite-based electrochemical sensor

Abstract

In the present work, the rapid and highly efficient catalyst has been designed for the electrochemical sensing of the non-steroidal drug Mefenamic acid (MFA) for quality control and clinical assessment. Ferrite nanocomposite (SFBF-NC) has been synthesized by sol-gel method from the precursor sodium ferrite and barium ferrite and applied for the electrochemical sensing of MFA. The SFBF-NC was examined by various analytical methods to confirm its coral-like shape with a highly rough and porous structure, cubic/spinal phase crystallinity, and average crystalline size < 60 nm with good stable electronic properties. Due to the large electroactive surface area, fast electron transfer rate, and potent electrocatalytic activity of SFBF-NC, the fabricated SFBF-NC/GCE showed good sensitivity for the quantitative determination of MFA. The proposed sensor showed the limit of detection (LOD) of 2.12 nM with a linear range of 0.01–450 μM for MFA detection. Additionally, the proposed sensor demonstrated excellent catalytic activity, stability, repeatability, and selectivity for MFA sensing and was utilized for the routine analysis of MFA in biological and pharmaceutical samples.