Electrode Materials for Pharmaceuticals Determination

The presence of pharmaceuticals in surface waters called for urgent concern in recent years due to their prospective environmental effects. Various analytical methods including chemiluminescence, high-performance liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry, spectrophotometry and liquid chromatography have been employed for the determination of various pharmaceuticals. However, all these techniques are time-consuming, complicated and require expensive equipment. On the contrary, the electrochemical technique resolved these problems owing to its low cost, fast response, simplicity and ease of on-site application. Considering this, various electrodes have played significant roles in the determination of different drugs in biological, urine and pharmaceuticals formulations. Various electrodes are modified with various nanomaterials to improve the sluggish electron migration and electrode fouling, which reduces their selectivity and sensitivity. Considering this, the present chapter discusses the applications of various electrodes for different electrochemical analyses.