A chemometrics approach for simultaneous determination of cyanazine and propazine based on a carbon paste electrode modified by a molecularly imprinted polymer

Abstract

In a completely rational and designed approach, simultaneous determination of cyanazine and propazine in environmental and food samples was performed using a molecularly imprinted polymer modified carbon paste electrode (MIP–CPE) and partial least squares. The MIP–CPE designed is based on the theoretical studies functioned as a selective recognition element and pre-concentrator agent for cyanazine and propazine. Fractional factorial and central composite designs were performed to recognize, and subsequently optimize, the variables affecting the cathodic stripping voltammetric currents for the analytes. The important variables were identified to be accumulation potential with optimum values of −0.45 and −0.44 V and pH with optimum values of 2.40 and 2.34 for cyanazine and propazine, respectively. Exploration of the overall optimum conditions for simultaneous determination of cyanazine and propazine resulted in accumulation potential of −0.44 V and pH of 2.4. Dynamic linear ranges of 0.05–9.00 μmol L⁻¹ and 0.01–1.00 μmol L⁻¹ and detection limits of 0.010 and 0.001 μmol L⁻¹ were obtained for cyanazine and propazine, respectively. The results of the application of the proposed method on the simultaneous determination of cyanazine and propazine in foodstuffs and environmental samples were satisfactory.