Electrochemical Determination of Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic Norfloxacin in the Presence of Anionic Surfactant Using the Anodically Pretreated Boron‐Doped Diamond Electrode

In this article, a simple, fast and inexpensive methodology has been developed for the determination of fluoroquinolone class antibiotic norfloxacin (NFX) in anionic surfactant media (sodium dodecyl sulphate, SDS) using an anodically pretreated boron‐doped diamond (APT‐BDD) electrode. Cyclic voltammetric studies showed that the NFX gave an irreversible and adsorption controlled anodic oxidation signal at a potential of about +1.32 V on the APT‐BDD electrode. The effects of parameters such as the electrode pre‐treatment procedure, SDS concentration, and instrumental variables on the electrochemical sensitivity of NFX were evaluated. Under optimized conditions, the linearity was achieved in the range of 0.05 to 4.0 μg mL−1 (1.57×10−7−1.25×10−5 mol L−1), with a detection limit of 0.013 μg mL−1 (4.07×10−8 mol L−1) by using square‐wave adsorptive stripping voltammetry (SW‐AdSV). The feasibility of the developed approach for the quantification of NFX in urine samples was tested. The presence of surfactant and pre‐treatments applied to the boron‐doped diamond electrode affect the performance of the electroactive species on the electrode. Both effects result in increased signals of the electroactive species on the electrode.