Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Flumequine by Electrogenerated PPy-Ag Modified Electrode: Electrochemical and sensing properties.

Flumequine is a synthetic fluoroquinolone antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections. It is a first-generation fluoroquinolone antibacterial that has been removed from clinical use and is no longer being marketed. Flumequine was used in veterinarian medicine for the treatment of enteric infections, as well as to treat cattle, swine, chickens, and fish, but only in a limited number of countries. Several studies have reported the design of chemical sensors for the selective detection of flumequine (Flu). The limits of detection were of order of 15 - 24 µg.L^-1.

Here, we have designed and realized an electrochemical sensor for flumequine detection. For this purpose, a platinum (Pt) electrode was functionalized with a one-step polypyrrole-silver (PPy-Ag) film. Cyclic voltammetry was investigated for PPy-Ag realization, while square-wave voltammetry was used for (Flu) monitoring. The incorporated Ag amount in polypyrrole matrix was optimized. The Flumequine oxidation on both Pt and Ag-PPy was investigated. The limit of detection (LOD) of the designed senor was of order of 2.61 µg.l^-1, one of the lowest values ever reported in literature. The sensitivity (in the semi logarithmic representation) was equal to 19 µA.M^-1. These results pave the way for flumequine track in real media.