Iron oxide decorated hexagonal boron nitride modified electrochemical sensor for the detection of nitrofurantoin in human urine samples

Nitrofurantoin (NFT, C8H6N4O5) is an anti-infective and anti-bacterial drug used for urinary tract infections (UTIs). Thus, consuming a high dose of NFT can cause severe neurological, haematological and gastrointestinal effects. By monitoring the concentration of NFT in the human body, one can maintain the amount of consumption and also reduce these side effects. NFT will be excreted through urine in the human body. In this study, an easy, quick, and cheap electrochemical sensor for the sensing of NFT using an electrocatalytic nanocomposite material made of iron oxide/hexagonal boron nitride (α-Fe2O3/h-BN) was reported which is a non-invasive, highly sensitive, and selective sensor. The α-Fe2O3/h-BN nanocomposite was prepared by using hydrothermal technique. As-synthesized α-Fe2O3/h-BN nanocomposite was comprehensively characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), elemental mapping (E-Map), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV–VIS spectroscopy. The α-Fe2O3/h-BN based electrochemical sensor exhibited high electrocatalytic activity for NFT and provided a linear response from 0.025 μM to 22.95 μM (NFT) with a detection limit of 15 nM and a response time of 2 s with the sensitivity of 2.36 µA µM−1 cm−2 by amperometry technique. Ultimately, the practical utility of the sensor was showcased by detecting NFT in a human urine sample. In addition, the stability, repeatability, and interference studies were indicated that α-Fe2O3/h-BN based electrochemical sensor can be used for selective detection of NFT in biological samples.