Electrochemical Sensors for Detection of Acetylsalicylic Acid

Acetylsalicylic acid (AcSA), or aspirin, was introduced in the late 1890s and has been used to treat a variety of inflammatory conditions. The aim of this work was to suggest electrochemical sensor for acetylsalicylic detection. Primarily, we utilized square wave voltammetry (SWV) using both carbon paste electrode (CPE) and of graphite pencil electrode (GPE) as working ones to indirect determination of AcSA. The principle of indirect determination of AcSA bases in its hydrolysis on salicylic acid (SA), which is consequently detected. Thus, we optimized both determination of SA and conditions for AcSA hydrolysis and found out that the most suitable frequency, amplitude, step potential and the composition and pH of the supporting electrolyte for the determination of SA was 260 Hz, 50 mV, 10 mV and Britton-Robinson buffer (pH 1.81), respectively. The detection limit (S/N = 3) of the SA was 1.3 ng/ml. After that, we aimed on indirect determination of AcSA by SWV CPE. We tested the influence of pH of Britton-Robinson buffer and temperature on yield of hydrolysis, and found out that 100% hydrolysis of AcSA was reached after 80 minutes at pH 1.81 and 90°C. The method for indirect determination of AcSA has been utilized to analyse pharmaceutical drug. The determined amount of AcSA in the pharmaceutical drug was in good agreement with the declared amounts. Moreover, we used GPE for determination of AcSA in a pharmaceutical drug. Base of the results obtained from stationary electrochemical instrument we used flow injection analysis with electrochemical detection to determine of salicylates (SA, AcSA, thiosalicylic acid, 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid and 5-sulfosalicylic acid – SuSA). We found out that we are able to determine all of detected salicylates directly without any pre-treatment, hydrolysis and so on at units of femtomoles per injection (5 μl).