A sensitive nanocomposite design via carbon nanotube and silver nanoparticles: Selective probing of Emedastine Difumarate

Abstract

In this study, a novel and sensitive nanocomposite of carboxylate-functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotube (COOH-fMWCNT) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was fabricated and used to modify a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) by a simple drop casting method. Modified electrode was then applied for selective determination of emedastine difumarate (EDD). The COOH-fMWCNT/AgNPs nanocomposite was characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). EDD showed two oxidation peaks at 0.634 and 1.2 V on the GCE surface. CV results of COOH-fMWCNT/AgNPs/GCE displayed superior electrocatalytic performance in terms of anodic peak current of EDD when compared to AgNPs/GCE, MWCNT/GCE, and COOH-fMWCNT/GCE. The experimental conditions such as effect of pH, supporting electrolyte, effect of accumulation time and potential, scan rate were optimized for getting intense current signals of the target analyte. Under optimized conditions, COOH-fMWCNT/AgNPs/GCE showed a linear current response for oxidation of EDD in the range of 1.0 × 10^-7-1.0 × 10^-4 M, with a limit of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) of 5.25 nM, 15.9 nM, respectively, in 0.1 M phosphate buffer solution at pH 2.0 using differential pulse adsorptive stripping voltammetry technique. The proposed method was successfully applied for determination of EDD in pharmaceutical dosage form. Satisfactory recovery percentages were achieved from eye drop sample with acceptable RSD values (less than 2 %). Furthermore, the reproducibility, stability and repeatability of the modified electrode were studied.

Keywords: Electrochemistry; Emedastine difumarate; Multiwalled carbon nanotube; Nanosensor; Silver nanoparticles.