Rapid detection of paracetamol using a disposable, surface-modified screen-printed carbon electrode

Abstract

A method for the rapid and simple determination of paracetamol in urine is described. The transducer is a reagentless, amperometric sensor that was developed through the combined use of screen-printing and permselective membrane technologies. The sensor operates selectively by means of an anti-interference barrier, cellulose acetate, which is drop-coated directly on to the screen-printed carbon electrodes. The disposable, amperometric sensor require no further modification procedures to enhance selectivity, i.e., no enzymes are involved, and hence their fabrication is simple and extremely economical. Given the rapid response times, 13 × 10^–6 mol dm^–3 limit of detection and wide functional range, linear up to 2 × 10^–3 mol dm^–3, they represent an attractive alternative for paracetamol monitoring. The surface-modified strips were applied to the detection of paracetamol in urine, correlating well with a standard enzyme–colour reagent kit.