Ultrasensitive detection of nanomolar valacyclovir based on MoS2/MWCNTs-COOH/GCE sensing platform

As an oral prodrug, valacyclovir undergoes rapid in vivo hydrolysis to form acyclovir - an agent with antiviral properties. This compound is extensively employed in addressing herpes virus infections and various other related conditions. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a method for detecting the content of valacyclovir in drugs. In this study, molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) and carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-COOH) were ultrasonically dispersed to prepare a suspension, which was drop-coated on the surface of a pretreated glassy carbon electrode (GCE). A MoS 2 /MWCNTs-COOH/GCE sensing platform was successfully constructed for the ultrasensitive detection of valacyclovir. Under optimized conditions, cyclic voltammetry (CV) was used to detect valacyclovir. A strong linear correlation between the oxidation peak current and the concentration was observed within the range of 0.1–40.0 μM, with a detection limit (LOD) of 0.013 μM. Meanwhile, the sensing platform also demonstrated excellent anti-interference capability, stability, and reproducibility. In the analysis of real samples, satisfactory recoveries for valacyclovir (96.5–104.0%) were achieved with a relative standard deviation (RSD) below 5.0%, further confirming its reliability. In summary, the developed MoS 2 /MWCNTs-COOH/GCE sensor offers a promising approach for the highly sensitive detection of valacyclovir.