Development of a modified electrode using magnesium ferrite/activated carbon from coffee shell for determination of paracetamol

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This study aimed to develop a simple and effective electrochemical sensor for detecting para­ce­tamol (PAR) in pharmaceutical tablets. The goal was to synthesize and utilize a novel nano­com­posite of magnesium ferrite, MgFe2O4, and activated carbon derived from coffee shells (MF/AC) as a high-performance electrode modifier. The MF/AC nanocomposite was produced using a hydrothermal method. It was characterized with techniques such as scanning electron micro­scopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spec­troscopy, nitrogen adsorption/desorption, Raman spectroscopy and a vibrating sample mag­netometer. The electrochemical activity of the MF/AC-modified glassy carbon electrode (MF/AC-GCE) for PAR oxidation was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry, with parameters such as scan rate and pH examined. The optimized sensor demonstrated excellent performance with two linear detection ranges for PAR: 1.0 to 9.9 µM (R2 = 0.999), and 9.9 to 47.62 µM (R2 = 0.999), with a low detection limit of 0.29 µM. The method was successfully applied to analyse five commercial pharmaceutical products, showing high accuracy, acceptable recovery rates, and strong agreement with High-performance liquid chromatography validation results. The developed MF/AC-GCE sensor provides a simple, effective, and environmentally friendly approach for the electrochemical detection of paracetamol. Its impressive performance suggests potential applications in pharmaceutical quality control and clinical diagnostics, offering a practical alternative to more complex analytical techniques.