Simultaneous electrochemical determination of acetaminophen and ciprofloxacin in pharmaceutical formulations using a holmium-modified UiO-66 metal-organic framework electrode

Original scientific paper

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5599/admet.3535

Keywords:

Differential pulse voltammetry, drug quality control, metal-organic frameworks, multiplex sensing, rare-earth doping, standard addition method

Abstract

Background and purpose: The simultaneous determination of acetaminophen (ACE) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) is of considerable importance for pharmaceutical quality control, necessitating the development of sensitive and reliable electrochemical sensors. In this study, a holmium-modified UiO-66 metal-organic framework (Ho/UiO-66) was synthesized and evaluated as an electrode modifier for the simultaneous electrochemical determination of ACE and CIP. Experimental approach: Ho/UiO-66 was synthesized via a solvothermal method and characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption-desorption analysis, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray mapping. The electrochemical behaviour of ACE and CIP at the Ho/UiO-66-modified glassy carbon electrode (Ho/UiO-66/GCE) was investigated using cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse vol­tam­metry. The effects of solution pH, scan rate, accumulation potential, and accumulation time were syste­matically optimized. Key results: The characterization results demonstrated the successful incorporation of Ho species while preserving the crystalline structure of UiO-66. Among the investigated materials, Ho/UiO-66 (3/100 molar ratio) exhibited the most favourable combination of crystallinity, porosity and electrochemical performance, and was therefore selected for sensor fabrication. Under the optimized conditions, well-resolved oxidation peaks for ACE and CIP were obtained, enabling their simultaneous determination without mutual interference. The oxidation processes were found to be predominantly diffusion-controlled. The developed sensor exhibited satisfactory analytical performance with wide linear concentration ranges, low detection limits, satisfactory repeatability, reproducibility, and long-term stability. The sensor was applied to the determination of ACE and CIP in real pharmaceutical samples with satisfactory recoveries. The analytical results showed good agreement with those obtained using the reference high-performance liquid chromatography method. Conclusion: The proposed Ho/UiO-66/GCE sensor provides a reliable and practical platform for the simultaneous electro­chemical determination of ACE and CIP, demonstrating its potential applicability for pharmaceutical analysis.

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References

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Published

15-08-2026

Issue

Section

Pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis

How to Cite

Simultaneous electrochemical determination of acetaminophen and ciprofloxacin in pharmaceutical formulations using a holmium-modified UiO-66 metal-organic framework electrode: Original scientific paper. (2026). ADMET and DMPK, 14, Article 3535. https://doi.org/10.5599/admet.3535

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