Electrochemical characteristics and analytical applications of hexadecylmethanesulfonate-modified glassy carbon electrodes

Abstract

Paracetamol and ascorbic acid are two extensively used drugs, and catechol is a neurotransmitter present in the human body. Although these substances are electrochemically active on the bare glassy carbon (GC) electrode within the cyclic voltammetric window of +1.0 V to -0.4 V, amperometric detection at bare GC electrodes does not yield accurate results due to high noise. Hexadecylmethanesulfonate (HDMS)-modified GC electrodes produce much improved signal-to-noise characteristics toward amperometric detection together with enhanced stability. Although sensitivity is little decreased due to modification with nonelectroactive HDMS, lower,detection limit in the range of 10 -4 mol dm-3 is achieved with the modified electrode. Hence, HDMS-modified GC electrodes can be employed to quantify the active ingredient in Paracetamol tablets.