Use of voltammetric and chemometric tools to develop a sensor in forensic chemistry

Author(s)

Castro, Alex Soares ; de Azevedo, Larissa Silva ; Pinke Rodrigues, Caio Henrique ; Caleffi Patelli, Ana Carolina ; Bruni, Aline Thais ; de Oliveira, Marcelo Firmino

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: TALANTA OPEN; v. 5, p. 12-pg., 2022-08-01.

Abstract

The large number of drug seizures has required the development of electrochemical sensors and new analytical techniques involving portable sensors. Here, we have studied cocaine hydrochloride oxy-reduction on the surface of carbon paste electrodes chemically modified with [(VO)-O-II(salen)], and we have evaluated these electrodes as voltammetric sensors for forensic purposes. The modified working electrode for cocaine hydrochloride analysis presented the sensitivity was 1.2 mu mol.L (-1), and the mean limits of detection and quantification were 0.31 and 1.03 mu mol.L (-1), respectively. As for the possible interferents, the investigated analytes exhibited similar electrochemical activity, with different sensitivities. Supervised classification of the data for the detection of analytes by the SIMCA chemometric method revealed that the voltammetric methodology predicted cocaine in real samples seized by the police more effectively than the other analytes. Thus, the developed voltammetric sensor has potential use in forensic investigations. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/23825-3 - Development of voltammetric sensors for determination of cocaine and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol in samples seized by the police
• Grantee: Marcelo Firmino de Oliveira
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 16/01447-7 - Development of chemically modified electrodes (NDEs) with complexes of Schiff base for determination of cocaine: voltammetric studies and application of density functional theory (DFT)
• Grantee: Alex Soares Castro
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation