Characterization of carbon nanotubes decorated with NiFe2O4 magnetic nanoparticles as a novel electrochemical sensor: application for highly selective determination of sotalol using voltammetry.

A magnetic nano-composite of multiwall carbon nanotube, decorated with NiFe2O4 nanoparticles, was synthesized with citrate sol-gel method. The multiwall carbon nanotubes decorated with NiFe2O4 nanoparticles (NiFe2O4-MWCNTs) were characterized with different methods such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The new nano-composite acts as a suitable electrocatalyst for the oxidation of sotalol at a potential of 500 mV at the surface of the modified electrode. Linear sweep voltammetry exhibited two wide linear dynamic ranges of 0.5-1000 μmol L(-1) sotalol with a detection limit of 0.09 μmol L(-1). The modified electrode was used as a novel electrochemical sensor for the determination of sotalol in real samples such as pharmaceutical, patient and safe human urine.