Electrochemical sensing platform based on screen-printed carbon electrode modified with plasma polymerized acrylonitrile nanofilms for determination of bupropion

A original electrochemical sensing platform, based on screen-printed electrodes modification with plasma polymerized acrylonitrile (pp-AN) nanofilms is proposed. For that purpose, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process was conducted in a parallel plate (13.56 MHz) plasma reactor for 2 min with discharge power of 10 W. The surface topography and electrochemical properties of prepared sensors were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersion spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. The electrochemical characteristics of pp-AN/SPCE and pp-AN/SPAuE sensors was investigated for model redox pair [Fe(CN)(6)](4−/3−). Conducted research confirmed the excellent chemical stability, durability, wide potential window, high signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio, and, most importantly, the ability to standardize the sensors. The pp-AN/SPCE sensor was applied to the determination of bupropion, an antidepressant drug whose intake has increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. The voltammetric response of pp-AN/SPCE for BUP was linear in two concentration ranges of 0.63–10.0 and 10.0–50.0 μmol L(−1), with a detection limit of 0.21 μmol L(−1). Satisfactory recoveries (96.2–102%) and good precision (RSD below 4.1%) obtained for environmental and biological samples confirmed the usefulness of the sensor for the analysis of various kinds of samples. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: [Image: see text] SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00604-023-05971-0.