Copper(II) oxide-modified screen-printed carbon electrode for electrochemical detection of tuberculosis and mycobacterial infections treating drugs: rifampicin

Addressing the challenges of tuberculosis drug detection, this study investigates the application of copper(II) oxide modified screen-printed carbon electrodes (CuO/SPCEs) for the electrochemical detection of rifampicin, a critical drug in the treatment of tuberculosis and mycobacterial infections. The CuO/SPCE was fabricated via a constant potential electrodeposition technique and characterized using voltammetry. The bare SPCE surface exhibited a rough, porous structure, whereas the electrodeposition of CuO resulted in a smoother CuO/SPCE surface. The sensor exhibited high sensitivity with a detection limit of 2.89 μM for rifampicin and demonstrated excellent stability with a relative standard deviation of 3.5% over 10 measurements. The reproducibility was confirmed with an RSD of 4.2% across different electrodes. It also showed a linear response to rifampicin concentrations ranging from 10 to 200 μM. The real sample analysis showed a linear relationship between rifampicin concentration and peak current ( I  = 0.739 + 0.008 c ), with a high correlation coefficient ( R 2  = 0.995). This electrochemical sensor’s simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and rapid response make it a promising tool for point-of-care applications in tuberculosis management. Graphical abstract