New Trends in Electrochemical Sensors Modified with Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene for Pharmaceutical Analysis

Recently, carbon nanotubes (CNT) and graphene have been chosen as electrode material due to their unique mechanical, optical and electrical properties. These carbon-based materials are used to facilitate electrode reaction and produce an electrocatalytic effect. Moreover, a plethora of literature has emerged concerning CNT and graphene being employed to obtain a more selective and sensitive analysis. This chapter reviews this emerging literature focusing on drug analysis from pharmaceutical dosage forms and biological matrices. To achieve this, first, there is a summary of the basic properties, synthesis, characterization, electrode preparation and advantages/limitations of these materials, and then a selection of the literature from 2010 to 2017 is presented, which summarizes the type of electrode, electrochemical techniques, peak potential of drug compounds and the limit of detection values.

Keywords: Amperometry, Analysis, Buffer solution, Carbon nanotube, Chronoamperometry, Chronocoulometry, Composite material, Cyclic voltammetry, Determination, Drug, Electrochemistry, Electrochemical sensors, Graphene, Graphene oxide, Impedance spectroscopy, Modified electrodes, Nanosensors, Pharmaceutical formulation, Potentiometry, Stripping voltammetry.