Multimembrane carbon fiber microelectrodes for amperometric determination of serotonin in human urine

Abstract

An electrochemical sensor for the determination of serotonin in urine was prepared using Ni(II)–phthalocyanine and Nafion to modify the surface of a 4 mm length carbon fiber microelectrode. The resultant sensor was found to improve the response towards this neuronal amine versus the microelectrode without the polymer films. Different polymerization conditions, as well as different conditioning solutions and buffer systems, were investigated in order to optimize the response of the electrodes. Square wave voltammetry (SWV) is proposed as a direct method for determination of serotonin in human urine, after a solid–liquid extraction process. The proposed method enables a detection limit for serotonin of 0.80 ± 0.04 μg L⁻¹ to be achieved at a reduction potential of 0.35 V, with an overall prediction error of 2.2% and recoveries of 93%.