Design and evaluation of a highly sensitive nanostructure-based surface modification of glassy carbon electrode for electrochemical studies of hydroxychloroquine in the presence of acetaminophen.

N,N'-bis[(E)-(1-pyridyl) methylidene]-1,3-propanediamine (PMPDA) self-assembled monolayer (SAM) was covalently prepared on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The electrode surface modification was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) techniques. Then GC-PMPDA SAM modified electrode was used to investigate the electrochemical behavior of hydroxychloroquine (HQ) using CV, double potential step chronocoulometry and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) techniques. Using these techniques, the diffusion coefficient (D), electron transfer coefficient (α) and exchanging current density (j0) for HQ were calculated. Furthermore the modified electrode was applied as a high sensitive biosensor for determination of HQ in the presence of acetaminophen (AC). The GC-PMPDA SAM modified electrode provides two linear responses for HQ in the presence of AC in the concentration ranges from 0.09 to 10.21 μM and 10.21 to 98.29 μM by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The detection limit (three times the signal blank/slope) was 4.65 nM. Finally the modified electrode was satisfactorily used for determining of HQ in human body fluids.