Voltammetric determination of levofloxacin using a glassy carbon electrode modified with poly(o-aminophenol) and graphene quantum dots

A strategy was developed for the voltammetric determination of the antibiotic drug levofloxacin (LV) based on a glassy carbon electrode modified with a composite consisting of poly(o-aminophenol) and graphene quantum dots (PoAP/GQD) that was fabricated by electropolymerization. The PoAP/GQD composite provides a large surface area and sensing interface and strongly promotes the oxidation current of LV. Under optimal conditions, the modified GCE displays an oxidation peak current (best measured at a working voltage of 1.05 V vs. SCE) that is linearly related to the levofloxacin concentration in the range from 0.05 to 100 μM, and the detection limit is 10 nM (at an S/N of 3). The method was applied to the determination of levofloxacin in spiked milk samples where is gave recoveries between 96.0 and 101.0 %. We describe a one-step electrochemical polymerization method to synthesize a layer of conductive film of poly(o-aminophenol) and graphene quantum dots (PoAP/GQD) onto a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) surface. The composite film exhibited high electro catalytic activity for the quantitative determination of levofloxacin by stripping voltammetry.