Cobalt oxide nanoparticles modified coated graphite potentiometric sensor for quantification of sulfacetamide sodium in its pharmaceutical dosage form and spiked rabbit aqueous humor samples with greenness assessment

This study presents the fabrication of an innovative coated graphite electrode modified with cobalt oxide nanoparticles, for potentiometric determination of Sulfacetamide sodium. The functionalized nano-electrode was compared to a classical one; to study the advantages of addition of nanoparticles which was found to improve the performance characteristics of the electrode including improved sensitivity and selectivity, as well as, extended operational lifespan. The functionalized nano-electrode was more sensitive than the classical one with linearity range (1 x 10(-7)-1 x 10(-2) M) and a limit of detection down to 2.24 x 10(-8) M. This small modification increased the electrode's potential stability by preventing the formation of a water layer on the surface of the solid contact electrode. The electrochemical performance of the proposed sensors was evaluated according to the IUPAC recommendation data and was found to be within the acceptable ranges. These developed potentiometric platforms were applied to quantitatively analyze Sulfacetamide sodium in its pure solutions, pharmaceutical dosage form and spiked rabbit aqueous humor with satisfactory recovery percentages without pre-extraction procedure nor interference of the co-formulated drug; Prednisolone acetate and excipients. The proposed method was statistically compared with the reported method in literature and no statistically significant difference was found. The proposed method was evaluated for its environmental sustainability utilizing the Green Analytical Procedure index (GAPI) as a greenness assessment tool.

Automated summary

This study presents the fabrication of a modified graphite electrode with cobalt oxide nanoparticles for potentiometric determination of Sulfacetamide sodium. The addition of nanoparticles improved the sensitivity and selectivity of the electrode, as well as its operational lifespan. The functionalized nano-electrode showed increased sensitivity compared to the classical electrode, with a wide linear range and low detection limit. The proposed method was successfully applied to analyze Sulfacetamide sodium in various samples, without interference from co-formulated drugs or excipients. The method was found to be comparable to the reported method and showed environmental sustainability.