A portable electrochemical sensor for detection of the veterinary drug xylazine in beverage samples

A portable electrochemical sensor was developed to determine xylazine in spiked beverages by adsorptive stripping voltammetry (AdSV). The sensor was based on a graphene nanoplatelets-modified screen-printed carbon electrode (GNPs/SPCE). The electrochemical behavior of xylazine at the GNPs/SPCE was an adsorption-controlled irreversible oxidation reaction. The loading of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) on the modified SPCE, electrolyte pH, and AdSV accumulation potential and time were optimized. Under optimal conditions, the GNPs/SPCE provided high sensitivity, linear ranges of 0.4-6.0 mg L^-1 (r = 0.997) and 6.0-80.0 mg L^-1 (r = 0.998) with a detection limit of 0.1 mg L^-1 and a quantitation limit of 0.4 mg L^-1. Repeatability was good. The accuracy of the proposed sensor was investigated by spiking six beverage samples at 1.0, 5.0, and 10.0 mg L^-1. The recoveries from this method ranged from 80.8 ± 0.2-108.1 ± 0.3 %, indicating the good accuracy of the developed sensor. This portable electrochemical sensor can be used to screen for xylazine in beverage samples as evidence in cases of sexual assault or robbery.