Electrochemical sensitive determination of acetaminophen in pharmaceutical formulations at iron oxide/graphene composite modified electrode

Acetaminophen (AC) is one of the most commonly prescribed analgesic and antipyretic drug, which is considered to be safe as well as effective. Rational use of AC does not pose any toxicity or adverse effects, however, an overdose or prolonged use could lead to nephrotoxicity and severe hepatoxicity. Thus, monitoring of AC is essential for drug safety. In this work, a facile Fe2O3/reduced graphene oxide (Fe2O3/RGO) nanocomposite was synthesized for improved electrochemical detection of AC. The material was synthesized through a simple one-step process. For characterization of synthesized Fe2O3/RGO composite, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were employed. To verify the electrochemical performance of Fe2O3/RGO nanocomposite, GCE was modified with this nanocomposite and utilized for quantification of AC. The detection limit of AC was 21 nM in a linear range from 1.0 × 10−7 to 74 × 10−6 M. Furthermore, the sensor also unveiled good stability, promising sensitivity and selectivity. Hence, Fe2O3/RGO could be applied as a sensing material for electrochemical detection of AC. Finally, the analytical utility of the method was also verified in human urine and drug samples with some preliminary treatments.