Author(s)

Arnaldo Aguiar Castro, Ricardo Queiroz Aucélio, Nicolás Adrián Rey, Eliane Monsores Miguel, Percio Augusto Mardini Farias

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This paper describes a stripping method for the determination of zidovudine at the submicromolar concentration levels. This method is based on the controlled adsorptive accumulation of zidovudine at the thin-film mercury electrode, followed by a linear-sweep stripping voltammetry measurement of the surface species. Optimal experimental conditions include a NaOH solution of 2.0 × 10^–3 mol●L^–1 (sup-porting electrolyte), an accumulation potential of –0.30 V and a scan rate of 100 mV?s^–1. The response of zidovudine is linear over the concentration range 0.01 - 0.08 ppm. After an accumulation time of 5 minutes, the detection limit was found to be 0.67 ppb (2.5 × 10^–9 mol●L^–1). More convenient methods to measure zidovudine concentration in the presence of the didanosine, acyclovir, nevirapine, lamivudine, and efavirenz, were also investigated. The presence of zidovudine together with ATP or ssDNA demonstrates the utility of this method.

Zidovudine Determination, Antiviral Drugs, Ssdna, Thin-Film Mercury Electrode, Stripping Voltammetry

A. Castro, R. Aucélio, N. Rey, E. Miguel and P. Farias, "Determination of the Antiretroviral Drug Zidovudine in Diluted Alkaline Electrolyte by Adsorptive Stripping Voltammetry at the Mercury Film Electrode," American Journal of Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 2 No. 2, 2011, pp. 223-234. doi: 10.4236/ajac.2011.22027.