Highly sensitive manganese oxide/hexagonal boron nitride nanocomposite: An efficient electrocatalyst for the detection of anti-cancer drug flutamide

Abstract

Abstract Flutamide (FLT) is a non-steroidal anti-androgen drug mainly used to treat prostate cancer. However, the overdosage of FLT may cause severe side effects. Therefore, it is highly desirable and holds great importance to develop a simple, selective, and sensitive platform for anticancer drug detection. In this work, manganese oxide supported on hexagonal boron nitride (Mn2O3@h-BN) nanocomposite was achieved via a co-precipitation method followed by solvent evaporation technique, and their effective electroanalytical sensing towards FLT was studied. The structural and morphological analysis of as-prepared nanocomposite were characterized using various analytical techniques like X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy. Furthermore, their electrical and electrochemical behaviour were examined using EIS, CV, and DPV techniques. The Mn2O3@h-BN modified electrode displayed a higher cathodic current of –22.30 µA when compared to other modified electrodes. Herein, the Mn2O3, with the support of h-BN played a dynamic role throughout the electrode surface with a synergic effect resulting in a cumulative increase of electrocatalytic activity. Under the optimized conditions, the Mn2O3@h-BN electrode revealed a comprehensive linear range from 0.08 to 1940 µM and the lowest detection limit of (LoD) 0.008 µM with a sensitivity of 3.69 µA µM−1 cm−2. The fabricated electrode proved to be a promising electrocatalyst through selective anti-interference ability, commendable repeatability, reproducibility, and high stability. Finally, the proposed electrode was applied for the determination of FLT in urine samples with acceptable recovery values from 93 to 102 %.