An ultra-sensitive electrochemical sensor for the detection of acetaminophen in the presence of etilefrine using bimetallic Pd–Ag/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites

Abstract

In this study we report a one-step procedure for the fabrication of Pd–Ag bimetallic nanoparticles on the surface of a graphene oxide (rGO) support. A controlled reduction of Pd²⁺ and Ag⁺ ions on an rGO support was achieved by using a methyl ammonium borane reducing agent. The fabricated Pd–Ag/rGO bimetallic nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). A Pd–Ag/rGO based electrochemical sensor was fabricated by immobilizing the as-prepared Pd–Ag/rGO bimetallic nanocomposites on to a bare glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The resulting Pd–Ag/rGO/GCE electrochemical sensor was proved to be ultrasensitive and selective towards the detection of acetaminophen (APAP) in the presence of etilefrine (ET). The linear dynamic range (LDR) for the detection of APAP was found to be 1.2–30 nM with a good limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) of 3.26 nM and 13 nM, respectively. The newly prepared Pd–Ag/rGO/GCE-modified electrode makes a good analytical tool for the accurate determination of APAP either in its pristine conditions or in the presence of both real human samples and pharmaceutical formulations. The convenient fabrication protocol shown here can be extendable to other types of bimetallic configurations for various electrochemical sensing applications.