Graphite Studded with Facile-Synthesized Cu2O Nanoparticle-Based Cubes as a Novel Electrochemical Sensor for Highly Sensitive Voltametric Determination of Mebeverine Hydrochloride

Herein, a feasible chemical reduction method followed by intensive mixing was applied for
the preparation of an attractive material based on graphite studded with cuprous oxide nanoparticlebased
cubes (Cu2ONPs–C@G). Transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscope
(SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) were utilized for characterization.
Cuprous oxide nanoparticles (Cu2ONPs), with a diameter range mainly distributed from 4 to 20 nm,
aggregate to form microcubes (Cu2ONPs–C) with an average diameter of about 367 nm. Paste electrode
was prepared using Cu2ONPs–C@G (Cu2ONPs–C@G/PE) for voltametric quantification of the
musculotropic antispasmodic drug: mebeverine hydrochloride (MEB). The electrochemical behavior
of MEB was studied using CV, and the optimum analytical parameters were investigated using
square wave adsorptive anodic stripping voltammetry (SWAdASV). Moreover, density functional
theory (DFT) was used to emphasize the ability of MEB to form a complex with Cu2+, confirming the
suggested electrochemical behavior of MEB at Cu2ONPs–C@G/PE. With good stability and high
reproducibility, SWAdASV of Cu2ONPs–C@G/PE shows successful quantification of MEB over the
concentration range of 5.00  10􀀀11–1.10  10􀀀9 M with lower limit of detection (LOD) and lower
limit of quantification (LOQ) values of 2.41  10􀀀11 M and 8.05  10􀀀11 M, respectively. Finally,
accurate quantification of MEB in dosage forms (tablets) and biological fluids (spiked human urine
and plasma samples) was achieved using Cu2ONPs-C@G/PE