Copper and Cobalt Co-Doped Ferrites as Effective Agents for the Electrochemical Detection of N-acetyl-p-aminophenol

In the present article, the synthesis of copper and cobalt co-doped ferrites (Cu0.3Co0.7Fe2O4) and application as an electrode modifier were demonstrated. The synthesis of Cu0.3Co0.7Fe2O4 was conducted using the citrate sol-gel method by mixing the stoichiometric ratio of cobalt chloride, copper chloride, and ferrous chloride in aqueous solutions with citric acid and adjusting the pH of the solution to 7 using liquid ammonia. The spinel phase structure was confirmed by means of X-ray powder diffraction. Scanning electron microscopy were used to investigate the morphology of the sample and the vibrations of the functional groups were determined by Raman and IR-ATR spectroscopy. A promising modified electrode based on copper and cobalt co-doped ferrites (Cu0.3Co0.7Fe2O4)-modified glassy carbon electrode (Cu0.3Co0.7Fe2O4 / GCE) was presented for the sensitive detection of N-acetyl-p-aminophenol (NAP). The electrochemical behavior of NAP on Cu0.3Co0.7Fe2O4 / GCE was investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The modified electrode displayed excellent redox activity towards NAP, with a significant reduction of overpotential compared to bare GCE. A good linear relationship was obtained between the concentration and current response of NAP with a detection limit of 28.9 nM The excellent electrocatalytic activity of Cu0.3Co0.7Fe2O4 suggesting potential application of the modified electrode as an electrochemical sensor for N-acetyl-p-aminophenol.