A novel sensitive and selective electrochemical sensor based on integration of molecularly imprinted with hollow silver nanospheres for determination of carbamazepine

An electrochemical sensor based on hollow silver nanospheres (hAgNS) and molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was developed for drug analysis by using carbamazepine (CBZ) as a model analyte. hAgNS, serving as a support material for MIP immobilization, possesses large accessible surface area with superb electric conductivity, while electrochemically synthesized MIP film warrants improved selectivity for CBZ. Quantification based on the “MIP/gate effect” was performed by employing Fe(CN)63−/4− as the probe to indicate the current intensity. The sensor materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Under the optimal conditions, a linear relationship of the electrical signal versus the concentration of CBZ was obtained in the range from 8.0 × 10−11 to 6.0 × 10−8 M with a detection limit of 3.2 × 10−11 M (S/N = 3). Moreover, the prepared sensor exhibited specific detection of CBZ over its structural analogues and interferents, and the established electrochemical method was validated using the standard method-high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Eventually, rapid and accurate determination of CBZ in rat serum and cell samples was carried out after easy sample pretreatment.