Simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid, dopamine, and uric acid using a carbon paste electrode modified with multiwalled carbon nanotubes, ionic liquid, and palladium nanoparticles

We describe the modification of a carbon paste electrode (CPE) with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and an ionic liquid (IL). Electrochemical studies revealed an optimized composition of 60 % graphite, 20 % paraffin, 10 % MWCNT and 10 % IL. In a next step, the optimized CPE was modified with palladium nanoparticles (Pd-NPs) by applying a double-pulse electrochemical technique. The resulting electrode was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, cyclic voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. It gives three sharp and well separated oxidation peaks for ascorbic acid (AA), dopamine (DA), and uric acid (UA), with peak separations of 180 and 200 mV for AA-DA and DA-UA, respectively. The sensor enables simultaneous determination of AA, DA and UA with linear responses from 0.6 to 112, 0.1 to 151, and 0.5 to 225 mu M, respectively, and with 200, 30 and 150 nM detection limits (at an S/N of 3). The method was successfully applied to the determination of AA, DA, and UA in spiked samples of human serum and urine.