Abstract
Cetirizine dihydrochloride (CTZ) is a potent antihistamine drug widely prescribed for the treatment of various allergic reactions. The aim of this work is to develop a cetyl trimethylammonium bromide modified carbon nanotube paste electrode (CTABMCNTPE) for the sensitive and selective measurement of CTZ in commercial and pharmaceutical samples through cyclic voltammetry (CV) technique. In order to attain the enhanced sensitivity, electrochemical parameters including surfactant concentration, accumulation time, accumulation potential and pH of the phosphate buffer saline (PBS) were optimized. CV response of CTZ in a pH 7.0 PBS yielded two well resolved oxidation peaks at 0.82 and 0.98 V. The surface properties of CTABMCNTPE was examined using field emission scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The linear dependence of CTZ concentration (10 to 100 mu M) with peak current was observed and the detection limit was calculated as 0.27 mu M. The CTABMCNTPE was also applied for the selective determination of CTZ in the presence of paracetamol. Furthermore, the selective property of the fabricated electrode was examined by an interference study involving metal ions and organic molecules. The modified electrode was successfully applied for the analysis of CTZ pharmaceutical sample with acceptable recovery. The proposed electrode possesses elevated sensitivity with acceptable repeatability, reproducibility and stability.