Ultrasensitive electrochemical detection of oxybutynin hydrochloride using polyaniline modified sensor

Abstract

Abstract Overactive Bladder (OAB) is a condition known by the symptoms like urgency and increased frequency of urination. About 17% of adults are affected in US alone. Oxybutynin hydrochloride (OBH) is used as vital antimuscarinic agent against this condition. The drug fights the pathogens that may be causing the condition and provides relief to the affected. In this study, a highly sensitive electrochemical sensor was developed based on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for the detection of OBH. A well know conducting polymer, polyaniline (PANI) was used as a modifier to enhance the detection limit (D L ) of the GCE for OBH. The morphological and elemental composition studies were carried out by using Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD), which confirmed the successful synthesis of PANI. The modifier, other than being a great surface area enhancer, also acted as potent electrocatalytic framework that catalyzed the oxidation of OBH. The cyclic voltammetry (CV) studies under the potential range of 0.5–1.5 V at a pH of 7.4 and immersion time of 40 s, established that the electrochemical oxidation of OBH was irreversible and diffusion controlled. The studies also revealed that the mechanism involved a two electron and two proton involvement. Square-wave voltammetry (SWV) studies determined the sensitivity of the PANI/GCE in terms of detection limit which was 9.16 nM. The sensor also exhibited high recovery rate in pharmaceutical solutions and biological fluids, showing its potential in being a high precision tool for quality control and pharmacokinetic analysis.