Evaluation of the role of ionic liquid as a modifier for carbon paste electrodes in the detection of anthracyclines and purine-pyrimidine-based anticancer agents

Abstract

Ionic liquid has become a very fascinating modifier in the past few years. With the help of an ionic liquid-modified carbon paste electrode (CPE), electrochemistry has become a great way to find different drugs with a lower detection limit and high sensitivity and selectivity. The circulation of electrons of the ring in the cationic part of ionic liquid enables in lowering of the electron resistance and further enhancing the electrical conductivity. The combination of ionic liquids with various kinds of materials such as Nobel metals, metal oxides, graphene oxides, carbon nanotubes (CNT), etc has further improved its catalytic activity as a modifier enabling faster electron transfer. Additionally, the ability of an ionic liquid to dissolve other chemicals allows for the incorporation of the electrolytes and redo-active species into the electrode, enhancing its performance. Anti-cancer drugs are life-saving but have a lot of side effects, but one of the biggest is cardiotoxicity, which is very important for saving patients’ lives. So figuring out what these drugs are is a big task for scientists all over the world. Therefore, the current review enlightens the path for using ionic liquid as a modifier for the detection of anthracycline and purine-pyrimidine-based anti-cancer drugs.