Voltammetric determination of naltrexone in pharmaceuticals

Abstract The oxidation of naltrexone (compound used in the treatment of opioid addiction) on carbon paste electrodes has been studied using voltammetric techniques under semi-infinite linear diffusion and hydrodynamic conditions. A simple “in situ” electrode pretreatment is proposed to obtain a good reproducibility of the current signal. Subsequently, the current was measured and the concentration of naltrexone present could be determined. A linear calibration plot from 7×10−6 to 10−4M was obtained by using a scan rate of 50 mV/s. The method was succesfully applied to the determination of the compound in pharmaceuticals.