Nitrogen-rich porous carbon modified electrochemical sensor for the detection of acetaminophen

A simple and sensitive sensor based on a glassy carbon electrode modified with nitrogen-rich porous carbon (PNC) has been developed for the detection of acetaminophen (APAP). The nanocomposite P-NC was prepared by the assisted carbonization of the zeolitic imidazolate framework ZIF-8 using poly(vinylpyrrolidone), and its morphology and surface structure were thoroughly characterized. The results revealed that the P-NC prepared has a uniform pore size distribution with a high superficial area. The electrochemical properties of P-NC-modified electrodes were investigated by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and differential pulse voltarrunetry. It was found that the modified electrode has a high catalytic activity for APAP and exhibits good linearity for the 3-110 mu M concentration range with a minimum detection limit of 0.5 pM (S/N = 3). In addition, the constructed sensor exhibits good repeatability, stability, recovery, and selectivity, allowing it to be successfully applied to the detection of APAP in real-world human urine samples.