Application of novel Ni(II) complex and ZrO2 nanoparticle as mediators for electrocatalytic determination of N-acetylcysteine in drug samples

Hassan Karimi-Maleh ^a,*, Mehdi Salehi ^b, Fatemeh Faghani ^b

^a Department of Chemical Engineering, Laboratory of Nanotechnology, Quchan University of Advanced Technology,

Quchan, Iran

^b Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran

The electrooxidation of N-acetylcysteine (N-AC) was studied by a novel Ni(II) complex modified ZrO2 nanoparticle carbon paste electrode [Ni(II)/ZrO2/NPs/CPE] using voltammetric methods. The results showed that Ni(II)/ZrO2/NPs/CPE had high electrocatalytic activity for the electrooxidation of N-AC in aqueous buffer solution (pH = 7.0). The electrocatalytic oxidation peak currents increase linearly with N-AC concentrations over the concentration ranges of 0.05–600μM using square wave voltammetric methods. The detection limit for N-AC was equal to 0.009μM. The catalytic reaction rate constant, kh, was calculated (7.01 × 102 M−1 s−1) using the chronoamperometry method. Finally, Ni(II)/ZrO2/NPs/CPE was also examined as an ultrasensitive electrochemical sensor for the determination of N-AC in real samples such as tablet and urine

Keywords: electrocatalysis, modified electrode, N-acetylcysteine, Ni(II) complex, ZrO2 nanoparticle