Electrochemical monitoring of carbamazepine in biological fluids by a glassy carbon electrode modified with CuO/ZnFe2O4/rGO nanocomposite

This paper illustrates the modification of the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) with the synthesized ternary nanocomposite of graphene, zinc ferrite nanoparticles (ZnFe 2 O 4 ), and copper oxide (CuO) for the determination of carbamazepine (CBZ) in the biological fluids. The large surface area of GO , the conductivity of CuO nanoparticles, and electron transfer sites of ZnFe 2 O 4 provide a sensitive electrochemical sensor for the quantitative analysis of CBZ. The physicochemical and electrocatalytic characterizations of the constructed electro-catalysts were appraised by scanning electron microscopy, elemental mapping analysis, FT-IR, XRD , and voltammetry techniques. The superiority of the nanocomposite comprised of all synthesized components, GCE/CuO/ZnFe 2 O 4 /rGO, toward electrocatalytic oxidation of CBZ was confirmed. A sensitive oxidation peak was observed for CBZ at 1.2 V in a neutral solution. The LOD was deliberated to be 3 nM with a wide range of linearity in response (0.01 to 90 μM). The easy preparation, high stability, repeatability (RSD % < 3), and good antifouling activity of the GCE modified with the CuO/ZnFe 2 O 4 /rGO nano-composite indicated the synergistic effect of zinc ferrite, rGO , and CuO. The applicability of the sensor for CBZ monitoring in human serum and urine species was evaluated with satisfactory results.