An amperometric FIA system with carrier recycling: an environmentally friendly approach for atenolol determination in pharmaceutical formulations

Abstract

In this study, a carbon paste electrode was used for the amperometric detection of atenolol (ATN) in a Flow Injection Analysis (FIA) system with recirculation of the carrier solution. Under optimized conditions, the FIA method presented a linear range from 50 to 1000 μmol L⁻¹, with a limit of detection of 8 μmol L⁻¹ and a limit of quantification of 50 μmol L⁻¹. The proposed method was successfully employed for ATN determination in five pharmaceutical formulation samples without interference from pharmaceutical excipients or the concomitant drugs chlortalidone and nifedipine. Recirculation of the carrier solution combines the advantages of using high flow rates (7 mL min⁻¹), i.e. high sensitivity and high analytical frequency (240 injections per h), with very low reagent consumption and waste generation. A non-modified carbon paste electrode as an amperometric detector provides simplicity and low cost to the analytical method. Therefore, the proposed FIA method allows ATN quantification in pharmaceutical formulation samples in a very fast, inexpensive, reliable and environmentally friendly way.