Electrochemical Sensing of Antipsychotic Compounds

Electrochemical sensing of antipsychotic compounds has become a vital tool in clinical and pharmaceutical analysis, offering rapid, sensitive and cost-effective quantification of therapeutics such as clozapine, chlorpromazine, olanzapine and quetiapine. By exploiting redox reactions at tailored electrode interfaces, these methods achieve nanomolar detection limits and wide linear dynamic ranges in complex biological fluids. Advances in nanomaterials, conducting polymers and 3D-printed carbon electrodes have facilitated the fabrication of miniaturised, portable platforms capable of in situ or point-of-care monitoring. Analytical techniques such as cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry and amperometry enable elucidation of electron transfer kinetics, selectivity over interferents and real-time concentration profiling. Current research focuses on overcoming challenges of matrix interferences and protein binding, while integrating sensors into wearable or multiplexed arrays for personalised antipsychotic management worldwide.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have demonstrated the potential of nanostructured composite electrodes, notably reduced graphene oxide@polydopamine modified glassy carbon platforms, for the ultrasensitive detection of chlorpromazine. By combining electrochemically reduced graphene oxide with an electropolymerised polydopamine layer, these sensors exhibit enhanced surface area, rapid electron transfer and strong π–π interactions with phenothiazine rings. Such architectures deliver detection limits in the picomolar to low nanomolar range, broad linear dynamic ranges extending over several orders of magnitude and robust selectivity in the presence of common pharmaceutical interferents. The facile preparation and high analytical performance of these composites underscore their promise for future integration into bedside or outpatient therapeutic monitoring devices.

Electrochemical Sensing of Antipsychotic Compounds publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in electrochemical sensing of antipsychotic compounds across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Electrochemical sensor: Device that converts chemical information into an electrical signal via redox interactions at an electrode interface.

Cyclic voltammetry: Electroanalytical technique where potential is linearly swept to probe redox processes and kinetics at the electrode surface.

Differential pulse voltammetry: Pulse-based voltammetric method enhancing sensitivity by superimposing voltage pulses on a linearly changing potential.

Detection limit: The lowest analyte concentration that yields a reproducible signal distinguishable from baseline noise.

Reduced graphene oxide: Graphene derivative with residual oxygen functional groups, offering high conductivity and surface area for sensor platforms.

Nanocomposite: Hybrid material combining nanoscale components (e.g., carbon nanotubes, metal oxides) to enhance electrocatalytic activity.

Nafion: Sulfonated polymer used as an ion-exchange matrix to improve sensor selectivity and stability.

References

1. Electrochemistry Test Strip as Platform for In Situ Detection of Blood Levels of Antipsychotic Clozapine in Finger-Pricked Sample Volume. Biosensors (2023).
2. A Facile Electrochemical Preparation of Reduced Graphene Oxide@Polydopamine Composite: A Novel Electrochemical Sensing Platform for Amperometric Detection of Chlorpromazine. Scientific Reports (2016).
3. Fully Integrated 3D-Printed Electronic Device for the On-Field Determination of Antipsychotic Drug Quetiapine. Sensors (2021).
4. A platinum black-modified microelectrode for in situ olanzapine detection in microliter volumes of undiluted serum. Journal of Neural Transmission (2020).