Electrochemical determination of atenolol and propranolol using a carbon paste sensor modified with natural ilmenite

Abstract

In this study, a simple voltammetric method was reported for independent determination of propranolol (PROP) and atenolol (ATN) in pharmaceutical tablets using carbon paste electrode modified with natural Ilmenite (CPE-I). The analytical performance of the modified sensor was evaluated using the square wave voltammetry and cyclic voltammetry for determination of both β(beta) blockers in 0.1 mol L-1 of sulfuric acid solution (H2SO4). The signal obtained with modified carbon paste electrode in 0.1 mol L-1 of H2SO4 showed a good electrocatalytic activity toward the oxidations of PROP and ATN compared with the bare one. The enhanced oxidation peak current response can be attributed to the catalytic effect of the ilmenite nanomaterial incorporated into the carbon paste electrode. Under optimal condition, good linear calibration curves were obtained ranging from 0.20 to 8.9 mmol L-1 for PROP and 2.0 to 9.9 μmol L-1 for ATN, with detection limits of 80 and 0.31 μmol L-1, respectively. The CPE-I sensor had good repeatability and reproducibility (RSD ≤ 3.2%) and high sensitivity for the detection of both ATN and PROP. The proposed sensor was applied for detection of these drugs in pharmaceutical tablets. The obtained results indicate that the voltammetric CPE-I sensor could be an alternative method for the routine quality control of the β blockers in complex matrices.