Various types of electrodes have been employed for voltammetry investigations of pharmaceutical compounds. Nano-modified electrodes have been indicated to have considerably superior properties. Furthermore, the composition of inorganic and organic nano-modified electrodes compensate for disadvantages of both types of the electrodes.

Abstract

Over the past two decades, significant attention has been directed toward developing precise, low-cost, and practical detection methods for drugs and pharmaceutical compounds. Among these, electrochemical methods—particularly voltammetry—have emerged as reliable techniques, offering acceptable accuracy even in real-sample analysis. This review highlights recent advancements in the voltammetric determination of pharmaceuticals using nanostructured electrode modifiers. Traditional bulk electrodes, such as carbon-based, boron-doped diamond, metallic, and polymer-based electrodes, exhibit limitations in their electroanalytical performance. In contrast, modifying electrodes with metallic nanoparticles, metal oxide nanostructures, carbon nanomaterials, and nanocomposites has been shown to enhance key properties, including wider potential windows, lower background currents, and improved biocompatibility. Given the pharmaceutical industry's stringent requirements for low detection limits and high selectivity, the development of multi-component nanocomposite-modified electrodes has become a growing research trend. This review will serve as a valuable resource for chemists working on the voltammetric detection of drugs, as well as interdisciplinary researchers focused on the rational design of nanocomposites with superior electroanalytical properties, such as high selectivity, low detection limits, enhanced stability, and broad potential windows.