Differential pulse voltammetric method for submicromolar determination of antihistamine drug desloratadine using an unmodified boron-doped diamond electrode

A sensitive electrochemical method was developed for the determination of desloratadine (DESL) in different samples employing a differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and an unmodified boron-doped diamond electrode. Using cyclic voltammetry, an irreversible, well-defined and diffusion-controlled oxidation peak was observed at 1.55 V in phosphate buffer solution (pH 4.0). Using DPV under optimized operating conditions, the peak current was linear within the DESL concentration range of 0.099 – 6.3 µmol L-1, with a limit of detection of 41.0 ηmol L-1. The procedure was successfully applied to assay the drug in tablets and syrup and obtained statistically concordant results with those obtained by spectrophotometry. Applicability was also tested in human urine and tap water sample and obtained excellent recoveries percentages.