Voltammetric determination of niclosamide at a glassy carbon electrode

Abstract

A very sensitive and selective procedure was developed for the determination of niclosamide based on square-wave voltammetry at a glassy carbon electrode. Cyclic voltammetry was used to investigate the electrochemical reduction of niclosamide at a glassy carbon electrode. Niclosamide was first irreversibly reduced from NO₂ to NHOH at −0.659 V in aqueous buffer solution of pH 8.5. Reversible and well defined peaks at −0.164 V and −0.195 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) were obtained that are responsible for two electron peaks between NHOH and NO. Following optimisation of the voltammetric parameters, pH and reproducibility, a linear calibration curve over the range 5 × 10⁻⁸–1 × 10⁻⁶ mol dm⁻³ was achieved. The detection limit was found to be 2.05 × 10⁻⁸ mol dm⁻³ niclosamide. For eight successive determinations of 5 × 10⁻⁷ mol dm⁻³ niclosamide, a relative standard deviation of 2.4% was obtained. This voltammetric method was applied to the direct determination of niclosamide in tablets. The results of the analysis suggest that the proposed method has promise for the routine determination of niclosamide in the products examined.