Voltammetric paracetamol sensor using a gold electrode made from a digital versatile disc chip and modified with a hybrid material consisting of carbon nanotubes and copper nanoparticles

A composite consisting of carbon nanotubes (CNT) and copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) was prepared by a chemical reduction method, and its structure characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy energy dispersive spectroscopy and FT-IR spectrometry. The hybrid composite was deposited on the surface of a disposable gold electrode that was manufactured from a commercial digital versatile gold disc by a drop casting method. The electrochemical properties of the modified electrode were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. The sensor showed an excellent electrocatalytic activity towards oxidation of paracetamol (PA). The calibration plot (with current typically measured at 0.41 V vs. Ag/AgCl) is linear in the 0.5 to 80 μM concentration range, and the detection limit is as low as 10 nM. The sensor was successfully applied to the determination of PA in spiked water and tablet samples where it gave recoveries ranging between 95.25 and 100.5 %.