Adsorptive Cathodic Stripping Voltammetry for Quantification of Alprazolam

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Alprazolam detection is crucial for therapeutic drug monitoring and forensic analysis.
• Existing methods for alprazolam quantification can be complex and time-consuming.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple, highly sensitive, and reliable electrochemical sensor for alprazolam determination.
• To optimize the sensor's performance for accurate quantification.

Main Methods:

• Development of an electrochemical sensor using an electrochemically pretreated glassy carbon electrode.
• Characterization of electrode morphology and electrochemical properties using SEM/EDS, FTIR, CV, and EIS.
• Optimization of adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry parameters.
• Validation of the sensor's performance including limits of detection and quantification, sensitivity, linearity, selectivity, repeatability, and recovery.

Main Results:

• The sensor demonstrated excellent adsorption and electrochemical reduction of alprazolam.
• Optimal conditions were established for pretreatment and preconcentration steps.
• The sensor achieved a quantification limit of 0.1 mg L⁻¹, detection limit of 0.03 mg L⁻¹, and high sensitivity.
• Excellent selectivity, good repeatability (%RSD < 4.24%), and recovery (82.0–109.0%) were observed.
• Results in beverage samples correlated well with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Conclusions:

• A highly sensitive and selective electrochemical sensor for alprazolam was successfully developed.
• The sensor offers a promising alternative for rapid and accurate alprazolam analysis in real-world samples.
• The developed method is robust and suitable for practical applications in pharmaceutical and environmental monitoring.