Comparative effects of surfactants on the behavior of an anticancer drug potentiometric sensor

• Published in: Analytical methods 2020-02, Vol.12 (5), p.679-686
• Main Authors: Ghalwa, Nasser Abu, Abed Almonem, Khalid I, Al-Kashef, Iyad D, Saadeh, Salman M, Abu Shawish, Hazem M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 5-Fluorouracil; Amines; Amino acids; Benzalkonium chloride; Cations; Chlorides; Electrical measurement; Electrodes; Micelles; Pollutants; Potentiometric analysis; Potentiometric titration; Response time; Selectivity; Surfactants; Titration; Urine
• ISSN: 1759-9660; 1759-9679
• DOI: 10.1039/c9ay02252j

Surfactants may incorporate drug molecules in a micelle, allowing a great enhancement of a 5-fluorouracil electrode. The performance characteristics of electrodes comprising selected surfactants were investigated as well as the effect of their concentrations. These surfactants were benzalkonium chloride as a cationic surfactant, sodium dodecylsulfate as an anionic surfactant and Tween 20 and Tween 80 as non-ionic surfactants. In solutions of 5-fluorouracil in benzalkonium chloride the sensor showed the best response with a Nernstian slope of 29.5 mV per decade, a wide concentration range from 5.4 × 10 −6 to 1.0 × 10 −2 M, a notably low detection limit of 4.4 × 10 −6 M and a significantly short response time (5 s). The electrode response is independent of the pH of the test solution in the range 3.2-9.5. Selectivity toward the drug ion was calculated for different inorganic cations, amino acids and pharmaceutical amines. Direct potentiometry and potentiometric titration were applied for the determination of 5-fluorouracil in its pure form and as an ampoule formulation and in urine. Surfactants may incorporate drug molecules in a micelle, allowing a great enhancement of a 5-fluorouracil electrode.