Ultrasensitive and selective electrochemical sensor for paracetamol based on thiacloprid nanocomposite

The study introduces a novel electrochemical sensor for paracetamol (PCM) determination based on a nanocomposite composed of zinc layered hydroxide (ZLH) intercalated with sodium dodecyl sulphate and thiacloprid (SDS-THI), integrated with multiwalled carbon nano­tubes (MWCNTs). The sensor aims to address limitations of conventional analytical techniques and improve sensitivity, detection limits, and portability. Electrochemical techniques, including electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, square wave voltammetry and cyclic voltammetry, were employed to characterize the sensor performance. The ZLH-SDS-THI/MWCNTs sensor showed superior electrocatalytic activity, with a wide linear range (0.7 to 30 mM) and a low detection limit (LOD = 0.33 mM), outperforming several previously reported sensors. The enhanced performance is attributed to the synergistic properties of the composite materials, which offer improved electron transfer, a high surface area, and effective analyte interaction. Importantly, the sensor demonstrated excellent selectivity, as interference studies revealed that common biological and ionic species such as ascorbic acid, glucose, fructose, lysine, chloride, magnesium, and sulphate ions, even when present at 10-, 20-, and 50-fold excess concentrations relative to PCM, caused less than 10 % signal variation. This confirms the sensor’s robustness and reliability in complex sample matrices. Overall, this work highlights the potential of incorporating unconventional organic dopants, such as thiacloprid, into layered nanostructures to enhance the performance of electrochemical sensors, offering a promising platform for the selective and sensitive determination of pharmaceutical compounds in environmental and clinical applications.