Voltammetric determination of ethinylestradiol at a carbon paste electrode in the presence of cetyl pyridine bromine.

Electrochemical behaviors of ethinylestradiol at a carbon paste electrode (CPE) in the presence of cetyl pyridine bromide (CPB) are investigated by electrochemical techniques. Compared with that at a CPE without CPB, the oxidation peak potential of ethinylestradiol shifts negatively and the peak current is increased significantly, due to the enhanced accumulation of ethinylestradiol via electrostatic interaction with CPB at the hydrophobic electrode surface. It is verified by the influences of different kinds of surfactants on the electrochemical signals of ethinylestradiol. Some parameters such as pH, scan rate, accumulation potential and accumulation time on the oxidation of ethinylestradiol are optimized. Under optimal conditions, the oxidation peak current is proportional to ethinylestradiol concentration in the range of 5.0 x 10(-8) to 2.0 x 10(-5) mol L(-1) with a detection limit of 3.0 x 10(-8) mol L(-1) for 150 s accumulation by linear sweep voltammetry (LSV). The proposed procedure is successfully applied to determine ethinylestradiol in pharmaceutical formulation (Levonorgestrel and Etinylestradiol tablets) and the results are satisfying compared with that of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).