Applicability of ZnSNP@Gr nanocomposite for fabrication of an electrochemical sensor in simultaneous measuring of naltrexone, acetaminophen and ascorbic acid

Due to the importance of dosage controlling in the drugs, designing reliable sensors to measure the trace value of drugs simultaneously is crucial for the clinical application view. In this study, a novel and sensitive sensor has been developed for fast and selective simultaneous detection of naltrexone (NAL), acetaminophen (AC) and ascorbic acid (AA) based on a simple carbon paste electrode (CPE). The CPE is modified with a nanocomposite containing ZnS nanoparticles (ZnSNP) and graphene (Gr). The characteristic properties of the synthesized ZnSNP@Gr nanocomposite are examined. The results show utilization of the ZnSNP@Gr nanocomposite in the CPE modification efficiently increases the electrode surface area, facilitates electron transfer and amplifies the catalysis of the targets. The sensor simultaneously measures the NAL, AC and AA in the linear ranges and limits of detection of 0.063-200.5 mu M (4.3 nM), 0.07-780 mu M (6.5 nM) and 0.38-96 mu M (25 nM), respectively. The practical feasibility of the sensing strategy is satisfactorily evaluated in the detection of three targets in pharmaceutical and human blood plasma samples. Furthermore, this simple methodology looks promising in the fabrication of other multiple sensors or catalysis applications.