Improved electrochemical detection of levofloxacin in diverse aquatic samples using 3D flower-like Co@CaPO4 nanospheres

The misuse of antibiotics has become a concerning environmental issue, posing a significant threat to public health. Levofloxacin (LFX), a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, is particularly worrisome due to its detrimental impact on human health and the ecosystem. Therefore, the selective and accurate identification of LFX is of utmost importance. In this study, we have developed an electrochemical sensor based on cobalt-doped calcium phosphate (Co@CaHPO) for the sensitive and selective detection of LFX in various water samples. Under optimized conditions, the Co@CaHPO-modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) exhibited exceptional electrochemical activity, low charge transfer resistance, and a fast electron transfer rate, outperforming the unmodified GCE. The proposed Co@CaHPO-modified GCE demonstrated remarkable electrochemical characteristics, including a wide linear range (0.3–460 μM) and a lower detection limit (0.151 μM) with high sensitivity (0.676 μAμM−1 cm2). This detection approach may enable the direct detection of LFX in the pharmaceutical environment. Furthermore, the resulting sensor exhibited good selectivity, excellent cyclic and storage stability, reproducibility, and repeatability. The practical application of this LFX sensor can be extended to various water samples, yielding reliable and satisfactory results.