Electrochemical sensing of atenolol using silver-reduced graphene oxide carbon paste nanocomposite electrode

Original scientific paper

Authors

  • Nevila Broli Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tirana, Tirana, Albania and NanoAlb, Center of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, Academy of Science of Albania, Tirana, Albania https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4240-6474
  • Sadik Cenolli Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tirana, Tirana, Albania and NanoAlb, Center of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, Academy of Science of Albania, Tirana, Albania https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8802-356X
  • Loreta Vallja Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tirana, Tirana, Albania and NanoAlb, Center of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, Academy of Science of Albania, Tirana, Albania https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0930-1064
  • Majlinda Vasjari Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tirana, Tirana, Albania and NanoAlb, Center of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, Academy of Science of Albania, Tirana, Albania https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2504-2138
  • Ana Ameda Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tirana, Tirana, Albania and NanoAlb, Center of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, Academy of Science of Albania, Tirana, Albania https://orcid.org/0009-0003-2842-0066
  • Lueda Kulla Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tirana, Tirana, Albania and NanoAlb, Center of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, Academy of Science of Albania, Tirana, Albania https://orcid.org/0009-0007-4949-5517

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5599/jese.3150

Keywords:

beta-blocker, electrochemical sensor, modified carbon paste electrode, hybrid nanocomposite, voltammetry techniques, real samples

Abstract

Atenolol, one of the most prescribed β₁-selective adrenergic blockers, has been increasingly detected in aquatic ecosystems due to incomplete elimination in sewage treatment plants, posing an ecotoxicological hazard to the environment. Here, an electrochemical sensor based on silver-decorated reduced graphene oxide composite carbon paste electrode (rGO@Ag-CPE) was designed for the ultrasensitive electroanalytical determination of atenolol in real-world samples. The morphology and chemical composition of rGO@Ag-CPE were investigated by trans­mission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectroscopy analyses, while the electro­chemical properties were evaluated by cyclic and square wave voltammetry techniques. The rGO@Ag-CPE demonstrated excellent electrocatalytic performance toward Atenolol oxidation, attributed to the unique properties of reduced graphene oxide and silver nanoparticles, which provide high conductivity and efficient electrocatalysis, thereby helping to prevent unwanted Atenolol degradation. Under optimized electrochemical sensing conditions, the rGO@Ag-CPE sensor exhibited a linear dynamic range of 20-859 μM (R² = 0.9953), a low detection limit of 2.9 μM, and good reproducibility (relative standard deviation < 4.0 %). A validation study on real-world samples showed good atenolol recovery of 88.8-102% in natural waters and 97-99.2 % in pharmaceutical tablets.

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Published

20-01-2026

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Vol. 16 (2026)

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Electroanalytical chemistry

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Copyright (c) 2026 Nevila Broli, Sadik Cenolli, Loreta Vallja, Majlinda Vasjaei, Ana Ameda, Lueda Kulla

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Electrochemical sensing of atenolol using silver-reduced graphene oxide carbon paste nanocomposite electrode: Original scientific paper. (2026). Journal of Electrochemical Science and Engineering, 16, Article 3150. https://doi.org/10.5599/jese.3150

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