Electrochemical measurement of tamoxifen in the presence of acetaminophen and ascorbic acid using carbon paste electrode modified with novel nanoparticles

Tamoxifen (TMX) is a non-steroidal anti-estrogen used to treat human breast cancer, although the International Olympic Committee has banned this drug. Here, a sensor based on an electrochemical process was prepared by modifying the carbon paste electrode with alumina/carbon core-shell and vanadium oxide nanoparticles (Al2O3@C/V2O5/CPE) and used to analyze TMX in an aqueous medium. The modified electrode surface was studied using electrochemical impedance and scanning electron microscopy. The electrochemical behavior of TMX was studied using cyclic voltammetry, CV, and differential pulse, DP, techniques. The DP current response of the Al2O3@C/V2O5/CPE electrode was 2.3 times that of the CPE. In the measurement level of TMX using the DP technique at the Al2O3@C/V2O5/CPE electrode surface, the linear dependence of the anodic current with TMX concentration in the linear range of 0.1-200 mu M and a detection limit of 0.025 mu M was obtained. The modified electrode showed excellent selectivity in the presence of organic and inorganic species which is available in real examples. Then, after examining the effective parameters in the electrode response to TMX, measurement of TMX in the presence of acetaminophen (AC) and ascorbic acid (AA) was also evaluated by the DP method. The results showed that simultaneous measurement of three species by Al2O3@C/V2O5/CPE electrode is possible without disturbing each other. Finally, the proposed sensor was successfully used to measure TMX in drug samples.

Automated summary

In this study, a sensor based on an electrochemical process was developed for the analysis of the anti-estrogen drug tamoxifen in water. The modified electrode showed enhanced sensitivity and selectivity for tamoxifen measurement. This sensor has potential applications in drug analysis and detection.