Sensitive electrochemical determination of acetaminophen in pharmaceutical formulations at multiwalled carbon nanotube-alumina-coated silica nanocomposite modified electrode

A highly sensitive electrochemical sensor for the determination of acetaminophen at the multiwalled carbon nanotube-alumina-coated silica (MWCNT-ACS) nanocomposite modified glassy carbon electrode is reported. The morphology of the MWCNT-ACS nanocomposite was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy. The electrocatalytic properties of the MWCNT-ACS nanocomposite modified glassy carbon electrode were characterized by cyclic voltammetry and square-wave voltammetry in the presence of acetaminophen. The MWCNT-ACS nanocomposite modified glassy carbon electrode exhibited the abilities to raise the current response and to decrease the electrooxidation potential. In cyclic voltammetric responses, the oxidation peak current of acetaminophen obtained at the MWCNT-ACS modified glassy carbon electrode was 100 times greater than that of bare glassy carbon electrode. The MWCNT-ACS nanocomposite modified glassy carbon electrode for the determination of acetaminophen displayed a sensitivity of 376.5 A M−1 cm−2 and a detection limit of 0.05 μM using square-wave voltammetry. The analytical applicability of the developed method was achieved by analyzing the content of acetaminophen in five commercial drugs without pretreatment.