Nickel-Zinc Supported on Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles and Its Potential as a Paracetamol Sensor

Abstract

This study aims to synthesize a modified mesoporous silica nanoparticle and evaluate its potential as an electrochemical sensor of paracetamol. Nickel-zinc supported on mesoporous nanoparticles (Ni- Zn/MSN) were successfully prepared by in situ electrolysis method. Ni-Zn/MSN was well characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The potential of Ni-Zn/MSN as an electrochemical sensor of paracetamol was investigated by employing it into carbon nanotubes paste electrodes (Ni- Zn/MSN/CNTs). Ni-Zn/MSN/CNTs exhibit a good peak resolution of cyclic voltammetry and shows redox process of paracetamol is predominantly diffusion-controlled. Under optimal conditions, Ni-Zn/MSN/CNTs showed a linear concentration-response of paracetamol in the range of 4.0 μM to 0.4 mM with a limit of detection of 0.3 μM. Ni-Zn/MSN/CNTs did not interfere by several foreign ions at 10, 50 and 100-folds excess concentration. A good electroanalytical response indicates that the addition of nanoparticles into carbon nanotubes paste electrode has enhanced the sensing platform of the sensor. The results presented herein provide new perspectives of modified mesoporous silica nanoparticles as a
potential nanoparticle in the development of paracetamol sensor.