Development of chemically modified electrodes by cucurbiturils for the voltammetric detection of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)

• Grant number: 12/17602-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2012
• End date: November 30, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Firmino de Oliveira
• Grantee: Maraine Catarina Tadini
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Ecstasy has the psychotropic drug called 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine(MDMA) as the main active principle. Because MDMA has stimulant activity and disturbs the central nervous system, it can cause various health hazards to ecstasy users. Therefore, the use of this psychotropic drug outlawed in Brazil. That is, its consumption is illegal. Ecstasy arrests by police have increased in Brazil. For a more efficient and accurate job, identification of the drug the forensic chemists may be required. Therefore, it is essential to study and develop alternative techniques that aid the identification and quantification of ecstasy. Because the majority of ecstasy tablets contain MDMA, the present project aims to study a chemically modified electrode for the detection of this compound. The electrode will be modified by using four different cucurbiturils and the deposition methods spin coating and dip coating. The electrochemical stability of chemically modified electrodes (CME) and process optimization will be evaluated by cyclic voltammetry, through variation of the analytical conditions (electrolytes, solvents, pH, etc). Next, MDMA will be added to the electrochemical cell, and the electrochemical response of the analyte in the CME will be investigated. Subsequently, the target CME will be assessed by using pulsed voltammetry techniques. After optimization of the chemically modified electrode, analyses will be conducted on ecstasy samples. Later, for the sake of comparison, MDMA will be analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

TADINI, MARAINE CATARINA; BALBINO, MARCO ANTONIO; ELEOTERIO, IZABEL CRISTINA; DE OLIVEIRA, LAURA SIQUEIRA; DIAS, LUIS GUSTAVO; DEMETS, GREGOIRE JEAN-FRANCOIS; DE OLIVEIRA, MARCELO FIRMINO. Developing electrodes chemically modified with cucurbit[6]uril to detect 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) by voltammetry. Electrochimica Acta, v. 121, p. 188-193, MAR 1 2014. (12/17602-0, 12/00084-7)