Electrochemical Detection of Nicotine in Various Matrices

Electrochemical methodologies have emerged as vital tools for the rapid, sensitive and cost-effective quantification of nicotine across a broad range of sample types. By leveraging modified electrode surfaces—ranging from carbon paste and glassy carbon to pencil graphite—researchers have tailored interfaces with nanomaterials, conducting polymers and biomimetically inspired coatings to enhance electron transfer and selectivity. Common modifications include the incorporation of metal nanoparticles (gold, silver, palladium), carbon-based nanostructures (graphene, reduced graphene oxide, MXene), polymer films and dendrimer composites. These hybrid materials serve to amplify the electrooxidation or reduction signals of nicotine, yielding limits of detection down to the nanomolar or even picomolar level, while resisting interference from co-existing species such as ascorbic acid, dopamine and urea. Assays have been demonstrated in human biofluids (saliva, serum, sweat), tobacco leaves and heated tobacco products, as well as alternative smoking matrices including hookah tobacco. Techniques such as cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry, amperometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy provide quantitative read-outs, enabling linear calibration ranges spanning several orders of magnitude. The global significance of these approaches lies in their potential for point-of-care diagnostics, quality control in tobacco manufacturing and regulatory monitoring of nicotine exposure.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have shown that nanocomposites integrating reduced graphene oxide with noble metal nanoparticles significantly improve the electrochemical response toward nicotine. One foundational work demonstrated a mussel-inspired polydopamine coating of reduced graphene oxide capped with gold nanoparticles, yielding a sensor with a detection limit in the low micromolar range and wide dynamic range for nicotine in tobacco extracts. Another approach employed a composite of reduced graphene oxide and an azo dye to modify a pencil graphite electrode, resulting in enhanced electron transfer rates and a broad linear detection window. More recent work developed a carbon paste electrode modified with gold–chitosan nanocomposite film, achieving selective voltammetric detection of nicotine in urine and tobacco samples with micromolar sensitivity and robust reproducibility across varying pH conditions.

Electrochemical Detection of Nicotine in Various Matrices publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in electrochemical detection of nicotine in various matrices across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Glassy carbon electrode (GCE): A chemically inert carbon substrate widely used as a base for electrode modifications.

Nanocomposite: A hybrid material combining nanoscale components (e.g. metal nanoparticles, graphene) to synergistically enhance analytical performance.

Limit of detection (LOD): The lowest concentration of an analyte that can be distinguished from background noise, typically expressed at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3.

Cyclic voltammetry: An electrochemical technique where potential is cyclically varied to characterise redox processes and quantify analytes.

Amperometry: A method in which a constant potential is applied and the resulting current, proportional to analyte concentration, is measured over time.

References

1. Development of Electrochemical Sensor Using Iron (III) Phthalocyanine/Gold Nanoparticle/Graphene Hybrid Film for Highly Selective Determination of Nicotine in Human Salivary Samples. Biosensors (2023).
2. Determination of nicotine in tobacco products based on mussel-inspired reduced graphene oxide-supported gold nanoparticles. Scientific Reports (2016).
3. Synthesis of graphene/DPA composite for determination of nicotine in tobacco products. Scientific Reports (2017).
4. Palladium Hydroxide (Pearlman’s Catalyst) Doped MXene (Ti3C2Tx) Composite Modified Electrode for Selective Detection of Nicotine in Human Sweat. Biosensors (2022).
5. New Au/chitosan nanocomposite modified carbon paste sensor for voltammetric detection of nicotine. Scientific Reports (2023).
6. Unprecedented and laborless polymer film of azorubin S for electrocatalytic sensing of nicotine in human serum and saliva. Electroanalysis (2024).