Designing a new electrochemical sensor with a sonochemical approach for the determination of the antipsychotic drug haloperidol in pharmaceutical and biological samples

Haloperidol (Hlp) is the most common antipsychotic drug used in the treatment of schizophrenia and acute psychotic conditions. Miniature sensors based on electrochemical sensors using hybrid materials for Hlp detection cannot provide continuous monitoring and cause several practical limitations. The high selectivity and sensitivity proven in biological samples as well as the low detection limit are still challenging. In this study, a nanocomposite (Ho2O3NPs/BNT) was synthesized by decorating holmium (III) oxide nanoparticles (Ho2O3NPs) on bentonite (BNT) through a feasible sonochemical route for the electrochemical detection of Hlp. After the formation and properties of the Ho2O3NPs/BNT nanocomposite were confirmed, the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was modified with this nanocomposite. Compared to bare and other modified electrodes, the Ho2O3NPs/BNT modified electrode exhibited a superior electrochemical performance for Hlp detection in pH 8,0 phosphate buffer solution (PBS). The proposed electrochemical sensor (Ho2O3NPs/BNT/GCE) exhibited a wide linear range (0.01µM–24µM), low detection limit (2.4 nM), and high sensitivity (0.01µM–24.0µM) by square wave voltammetry measurements. In addition to that, the proposed innovative electrochemical sensor met the clinical requirement in terms of reproducibility, selectivity, stability. Recovery experiments were also performed by adding known amounts of Hlp to biological samples. Recovery rates using the standard addition method were calculated in the range of %96.56−102.26. Results demonstrated the feasibility of the method to measure Hlp in biological samples and confirmed that Ho2O3NPs/BNT nanocomposite was successfully synthesized at the optimal synergistic effect through sonochemical approach.