High sensitive electrochemical sensor for imatinib based on metal-organic frameworks and multiwall carbon nanotubes nanocomposite

[Display omitted] •New modified electrode using MOFs and MWCNTs has presented to IMB determination.•CuMOFs with ultra-high porosity structure and adsorption capacity can accumulate IMB.•Active empty cavity of CuMOF has imatinib affinity through hydrogen bonding.•The offered sensor displays acceptable reproducibility, repeatability and stability.•Excellent sensitivity and high selectivity was observed for IMB in real samples. A new sensitive electrochemical sensor has been constructed based on glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified by nanocomposite of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and metal–organic frameworks of copper (CuMOFs). The voltammetric response of the offered sensor (CuMOFs-MWCNTs/GCE) exhibited the catalytic effect toward imatinib (IMB). To characterize the structure and morphology of the constructed sensor, the procedures of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) were applied. The porosity of CuMOF was described by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) and Barrett–Joyner–Halenda (BJH) technique. This sensor depicted an excellent electrocatalytic response for IMB detection under optimized conditions of solution pH, scan rate, accumulation potential, and time. Two linear segments in the calibration plot have been obtained for ranges of 0.01–20 and 20–220 µM with the limit of detection (LOD) 4.1 nM. The prepared sensor results were acceptable for the quantitative measurement of IMB in human blood serum (HBS), urine, and pharmaceutical dosage (Tablet), and it compared well with the reported HPLC method. Finally, the fabricated sensor demonstrated an acceptable accuracy, reproducible behaviour, and also, high stability in all electrochemical evaluations. Besides, analytical parameters were determined, and the results were compared with the reportages of similar methods.