Analytical Sciences


Abstract − Analytical Sciences, 23(3), 291 (2007).

Mebendazole Selective Membrane Sensor and Its Application to Pharmaceutical Analysis
K. Girish KUMAR, Sareena JOHN, Pearl AUGUSTINE, Remalakshmy PODUVAL, and Beena SARASWATHYAMMA
Department of Applied Chemistry, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi-682 022, India
A PVC membrane sensor for the selective determination of mebendazole (MBZ) was fabricated. The sensor is based on an ion association of MBZ with silicotungstic acid (STA) as ion pair and bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (BEP) as the plasticizing agent in a PVC matrix. The sensor showed a linear response for MBZ for a concentration range 1.0 × 10-6 - 5.0 × 10-2 M with a Nernstian slope of 55.8 mV/decade (limit of detection 6.3 × 10-7 M) in the pH range 4 - 7. It has a fast response time of <30 s. The sensor showed a very good selectivity for MBZ with respect to a large number of ions. The direct determination of MBZ in pharmaceutical formulations gave results that compare well with the data obtained from the standard method.