The present study
introduced a novel disposable screen-printed
carbon electrodes (SPCEs) modified with copper oxide/zeolite nanostructures
for eco-friendly selective differential pulse voltammetric quantification
of tetrahydrozoline (THZ) in eyedrop samples and biological fluids.
Modification of the electrode matrix with copper oxide nanoparticles/zeolite
nanostructures (CuONPs/ZY) with their effective and synergistic electrocatalytic
activity enhanced the electrode performance against electrooxidation
of THZ at 0.960 V in BR at pH 9.0 with a diffusion-controlled reaction
mechanism. The tentative oxidation mechanism based on molecular orbital
calculations postulates the oxidation of THZ molecules through oxidation
of a nitrogen atom five-membered ring and the participation of two
electrons/protons in the electrode reaction. Linear calibration curves
were illustrated within a wide THZ concentration range from 0.24 to
57.2 μg mL–1 recording a limit of detection
(LOD) value of 0.0799 μg mL–1. The CuONPs/ZY/SPEs
exhibited improved performance compared with the sole reported THZ
sensor-based gold film-plated carbon paste electrodes, in addition
to their high reproducibility of fabrication and measurement and prolonged
shelf lifetime. Tetrahydrozoline was successfully assayed in the presence
of excipients, degradation products, and chloramphenicol. The presented
voltammetric sensor can be considered as an eco-friendly and reliable
analytical approach for monitoring THZ residues in eye drop samples
and biological fluids with high recovery compared with the official
pharmacopeial analytical protocol. The presented sensors were assessed
according to an EcoScale tool and also compared with the reported
THZ sensor.