New cocaine-selective membrane electrode

The sensitivity and selectivity of a cocaine-selective membrane electrode have been improved with the use of sodium tetrakis[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]borate as an ion-exchanger and tetrakis(2-ethylhexyl) pyromellitate (TEHPY) as a solvent mediator. The use of TEHPY suppressed the responses to lipophilic quaternary ammonium ions and strengthened the response to cocaine. The electrode exhibited a near-Nernstian response over a concentration range of 10−2to 10−6 M cocaine with a slope of 56 mV per decade. The lower limit of detection was 4 × 10−7 M cocaine. Interference by other drugs (morphine and codeine) and a stimulant (methamphetamine) was negligible. This electrode was applied for the determination of cocaine in a drug mixture containing cocaine and morphine, which is widely used to suppress acute pain in cancer patients. The concentration of cocaine, different in each patient, was measured precisely with an average recovery of 99.9% and a mean relative standard deviation of 0.56%.