A cutting-edge design of a novel electrochemical voltammetric nanosensor modified with molecularly imprinted polymer along with multi-walled carbon nanotubes for selective safinamide recognition

Abstract

• A selective molecular imprinted polymer was fabricated for Safinamide recognition. • Novel carbon paste electrode modified with MIP along with MWCNTs for enhanced performance. • The established voltammetric method exhibited high sensitivity with a nano-detection limit. • Successful sensor application for Safinamide determination in various real samples. • Method's sustainability was ascertained via adopting smart metric tools. Safinamide mesylate (SAF) is an innovative adjuvant treatment for managing wearing-off symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD). Our novel approach involves the development of a differential pulse voltammetric (DPV) technique for SAF determination. This method utilizes a carbon nanocomposite paste electrode that is modified by a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) to serve as a recognition element for SAF. Additionally, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are incorporated to enhance the electrode's sensitivity. The MIP was subjected to a thorough characterization process, including analysis of rebinding, differential scanning calorimetry, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The cavities of the MIP recognize and bind to the medication, functioning as reliable host-tailored artificial receptors. The resulting modified electrode functions as a voltammetric sensor, enabling the nano detection of SAF. The fabricated MIP/MWCNTs-CPE demonstrates a linear range from 0.3 to 22.0 μg/mL and excellent sensitivity, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.079 μg/mL. According to ICH guidelines, the enhanced method has been validated for quality control testing on the pharmaceutical product and spiked human plasma. The proposed method was found to be practical, reliable, cost-effective, and efficient means of estimating the investigated drug. The method's sustainability was assessed by analyzing its scores for greenness, blueness, and whiteness. Therefore, this method has the potential to be a long-term, practical analytical tool for in vitro studies and quality control laboratories.