Paracetamol (PCT), or acetaminophen, is an important drug used worldwide for various clinical purposes. However, the excessive or indiscriminate use of PCT can provoke liver and kidney dysfunction; hence, it is essential to determine the amount of this target in biological samples. In this work, we develop a quick, simple, and sensitive voltammetric method using chemically modified electrodes to determine PCT in complex matrices, including human serum and commercial solid formulations. We modify the carbon paste electrode with stevensite monoclinic clay mineral (Stv-CPE), using cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to characterise and detect PCT. The kinetics study provides a better electrochemical characterisation of the electrode behaviour, finding the detection and quantitation limits of 0.2 μM and 0.5 μM under favourable conditions. Further, the best linear working concentration range is 0.6-100 μM for PCT, applying the proposed method to the quantitative determination of PCT content in reference tablet formulations and biological samples for validation.
Keywords: carbon paste electrodes; chemically modified electrode; clays; paracetamol; voltammetric techniques.