Application of N-4,4'-azodianiline(ferrocenyl Schiff base) for electrocatalytic determination of atenolol on modified carbon paste electrode

A carbon-paste electrode (CPE) chemically modified with the N-4,4'-azodianiline(ferrocenyl Schiff base) complex and multi wall carbon nanotubes (ADAFCNTE) was used as a highly sensitive electrochemical sensor for determination of trace amounts of atenolol. The oxidation peak potentials in cyclic voltammogram of ADAFCNTE occurred around 550 mV vs Ag/AgCl (at pH 6.0) while this peak potential at the carbon paste electrode appeared around 800 mV at the same scan rate of 10 mV s−1. The kinetic parameters such as electron transfer coefficient, α, and rate constant for chemical reaction between atenolol and redox sites in modified electrode were 0.41 and 2.8×102 cm3 mol-1 s-1, respectively. The catalytic peak current was linearly dependent on atenolol concentration in the range of 0.1-57.0 µmol L-1 with a detection limit of 0.08 µmol L-1. Finally, the sensor was examined as a selective, simple and precise new electrochemical sensor for the determination of atenolol in urine samples, with satisfactory results.