Novel electrochemical method for detection of cytotoxic Tinidazole in aqueous media

Antibiotics drugs are essential pharmaceutical compounds that play a vital role in the pharmaceutical industry, hospital, and livestock farming. The large scale of pharmaceutical and husbandry effluents are the primary environmental pollutants in water bodies. Even low concentrations of toxic nitroimidazole residues could lead to severe issues for humans and aquatic environments. Simultaneously, electrochemical sensing of cytotoxic antibiotics provides a critical assurance in quality control laboratories, pharmaceutical industries, and in environment pollutant assessment. The electrode surface modification with an excellent electrocatalyst paves the way for the effective determination of these cytotoxic antibiotics. Herein, Noble metal silver incorporated carrom coin structured cobalt oxide (Ag-Co(3)O(4)NPs) was synthesized through a simple co-precipitation technique, and its electrocatalytic actives sites were improved via calcination at 600 degrees C. The modified electrodes were implemented in the electrochemical detection of cytotoxic Tinidazole (TNZ). The electrochemical characterization shows low charge transfer resistance (R-ct) and prominent electrochemical active surface area (ECSA). Due to its unique properties, Ag-Co(3)O(4)NPs modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) exhibits excellent sensitivity, stability, reproducibility, and low detection level up to the Nanomolar scale. Further, it also provides excellent selectivity among other interfering drugs and species. Meanwhile, it paves strategies for the real-time monitoring of TNZ in biological, pharmaceutical, livestock and various wastewater samples which could paves way for effective application in electrochemical sensors. (C) 2021 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.