Summary: | A novel hybrid composite of conductive poly(methylene blue) (PMB) and carbon nanotubes (CNT) was prepared for the detection of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA). Electrosynthesis of PMB with glassy carbon electrode (GCE) or with carbon nanotube modified GCE was done in ethaline deep eutectic solvent of choline chloride mixed with ethylene glycol and a 10% <i>v/v</i> aqueous solution. Different sensor architectures were evaluated in a broad range of pH values in a Britton-Robinson (BR) buffer using electrochemical techniques, chronoamperometry (CA), and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), to determine the optimum sensor configuration for 5-ASA sensing. Under optimal conditions, the best analytical performance was obtained with CNT/PMB<sub>DES</sub>/GCE in 0.04 M BR buffer pH 7.0 in the range 5–100 µM 5-ASA using the DPV method, with an excellent sensitivity of 9.84 μA cm<sup>−2</sup> μM<sup>−1</sup> (4.9 % RSD, <i>n</i> = 5) and a detection limit (LOD) (3σ/slope) of 7.7 nM, outclassing most similar sensors found in the literature. The sensitivity of the same sensor obtained in CA (1.33 μA cm<sup>−2</sup> μM<sup>−1</sup>) under optimal conditions (pH 7.0, <i>E</i><sub>app</sub> = +0.40 V) was lower than that obtained by DPV. Simultaneous detection of 5-ASA and its analogue, acetaminophen (APAP), was successfully realized, showing a catalytic effect towards the electro-oxidation of both analytes, lowering their oxidation overpotential, and enhancing the oxidation peak currents and peak-to-peak separation as compared with the unmodified electrode. The proposed method is simple, sensitive, easy to apply, and economical for routine analysis.
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