Electrochemical Detection of Paracetamol with a Polypyrrole-Cobalt Oxide Nanocomposite Modified Sensor

We present the development of an electrochemical sensor for detecting paracetamol, utilizing nanomaterial modified electrode. Cobalt oxide (Co 3 O 4 ) nanoparticles were synthesized via a hydrothermal method using cobalt (II) nitrate hexahydrate. This was followed by the polymerization of pyrrole with ferric chloride serving as the oxidizing agent. Equal ratios of polypyrrole (PPy) and Co 3 O 4 were then subjected to sonication. The structural and compositional characteristics of the resulting nanocomposite were analyzed using various techniques. XRD confirmed the crystalline structure of the PPy/Co 3 O 4 composite, while UV–vis spectroscopy identified distinct absorption peaks corresponding to both PPy and Co 3 O 4 . FT-IR analysis revealed specific functional groups present in the nanocomposite, and FE-SEM provided visual confirmation of the successful integration of PPy and Co 3 O 4 . Additionally, EDAX offered insights into the elemental composition of the composite. Cyclic voltammetry showed that the PPy/Co 3 O 4 modified electrode generated significantly enhanced current responses and well-defined redox peaks compared to the individual components. The PPy/Co 3 O 4 modified sensor demonstrated excellent stability, high catalytic current for paracetamol (200 μM), highlighting its increased sensitivity. This new sensor showed a detection limit of 0.49 μM and supported a linear detection range from 20 μM to 200 μM, allowing for precise quantification of paracetamol concentrations.