A sensitive and selective voltammetric sensor based on multiwall carbon nanotubes decorated with MgCr₂O₄ for the determination of azithromycin.

In this report, we synthesized MgCr(2)O(4) nanoparticles and then multiwall carbon nanotubes were decorated with the MgCr(2)O(4) nanoparticles. The characteristics of the new materials were studied with different techniques such as transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The multiwall carbon nanotubes decorated with MgCr(2)O(4) nanoparticles were used as a new mediator for voltammetric determination of azithromycin. The oxidation peak of azithromycin was appeared at a potential of about 720 mV at a surface of the modified electrode. Differential pulse voltammetry exhibited two wide linear dynamic ranges of 0.25-4.0 and 4.0-10.0 μmol L(-1) azithromycin with a detection limit of 0.07 μmol L(-1) at pH 7.0. The influence of potential interfering compounds on the selectivity was studied. Finally, the modified electrode showed good sensitivity, selectivity and stability for the determination of azithromycin in real samples.