Analytical Sciences

Nanoporous Nickel Microspheres: Synthesis and Application for the Electrocatalytic Oxidation and Determination of Acyclovir

Hossein HELI,*1 Fatemeh POURBAHMAN,*2 and Naghmeh SATTARAHMADY*3,*4

*1 Laboratory of Analytical and Physical Electrochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Fars, 7348113111, Iran
*2 Department of Chemistry, Islamic Azad University, Firouzabad Branch, Firouzabad, Iran
*3 Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
*4 Pharmaceutical Science Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

Nickel microspheres were synthesized via a water-in-oil reverse nanoemulsion system using nickel nitrate as the nickel precursor and hydrazine hydrate as the reducing agent. The nanoemulsion was a triton X-100/cyclohexane/water ternary system. The surface morphology of the nickel microspheres was studied by scanning electron microscopy, which indicated that the microspheres had a nanoporous structure. The electrochemical behavior of the nanoporous nickel microspheres were studied in alkaline solution and were then employed to fabricate a modified carbon paste electrode in order to investigate the electrocatalytic oxidation of the drug acyclovir. The oxidation process involved, and its kinetics were investigated using cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The rate constant of the catalytic oxidation of acyclovir and the electron-transfer coefficient are reported. A sensitive, simple and time-saving amperometric procedure was developed for the analysis of acyclovir. The proposed amperometric method was also applied to determine acyclovir in tablets and topical cream.

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