Lanthanum doped zirconium oxide-nanocomposite as sensitive electrochemical platforms for Tenofovir detection

Preparation of the La2O3-ZrO2-MWCNTs nanocomposite and construction processes of the proposed La2O3-ZrO2-MWCNTs/GCE-based electrochemical TFV sensor. [Display omitted] •La2O3-ZrO2-MWCNTs nanocomposite was simply prepared as electrode material.•Electrochemical sensor for Tenofovir detection by La2O3-ZrO2-MWCNTs/GCE was fabricated.•High selectivity, stable repeatability and reliable reproducibility of the sensor were obtained.•A good linear concentration range (0.7 μM–100 μM) and a low LOD (0.219 μM) were established.•The newly developed sensor can be used for Tenofovir detection in biological samples. Tenofovir (TFV) is an antiviral drug base for the treatment of diseases caused by retroviruses. Quantitative detection is the key to the effective application of TFV. In this work, a composite modified electrode (La2O3-ZrO2-MWCNTs/GCE) was prepared and used for the electrochemical detection of TFV. The materials were characterized by XRD, SEM, EDS. The performance of the sensor was investigated by cyclicvoltammetry, electrochemical impedance specttoscopy and differential pulse voltammetry. La2O3-ZrO2-MWCNTs/GCE greatly improved the electrochemical response of TFV. Under optimal conditions, the proposed electrochemical method, ranging from 0.7−100.0 μM had a good linear range with a detection limit of 0.219 μM. The sensitivity, reproducibility and selectivity of the sensor achieved satisfactory results, and has been applied to the determination of TFV in biological samples, with satisfactory results.