Voltammetric determination of paracetamol at NiO nanoparticles-modified carbon paste electrode in bulk and tablet dosage forms

Abstract

Nickel oxide (NiO) nanoparticles were synthesized by a rapid method and well characterized. The nanoparticles were then used with graphite powder to prepare modified carbon paste electrode (CPE/NiO) for electrocatalytic oxidation of paracetamol (AC). The CPE/NiO showed higher electrocatalytic activity than nickel rod electrode in electrocatalytic oxidation of AC in alkaline media. The assay of AC, mechanism and kinetics of the electrooxidation process were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The catalytic rate constant and the charge transfer coefficient of AC electrooxidation by the active nickel species and the diffusion coefficient of AC were also reported. The linear dependence of the peak current on the concentration of the AC was observed in the range 2–14 mM. This procedure was successfully applied to the determination of AC in tablets. The results showed sufficient precision, accuracy and achieved a mean recovery of 97.2% (RSD = 6.7%).