Comparative assessment of ZIF-based electrochemical sensors for Cabotegravir detection in environmental, biological, and pharmaceutical samples

The analysis of biological and environmental samples for drug quantification is a significant task in drug discovery. This study presents a comparative electrochemical evaluation of Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks (ZIF11 and ZIF-12) for the sensitive detection of Cabotegravir in environmental, biological, and pharmaceutical samples. Electrochemical sensors were developed using ZIF-11 and ZIF-12-modified glassy carbon electrodes (GCE), demonstrating enhanced electrocatalytic activity toward CAB oxidation. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) confirmed that ZIF-12/GCE exhibited a lower peak separation potential and reduced charge transfer resistance compared to ZIF-11/GCE and bare GCE, attributing the superior electron transfer kinetics to the Co metal center in ZIF-12. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) allowed for the quantification of CAB over a wide linear range (0.04 - 10.3 mu M) with a low limit of detection (LOD) of 1.15 nM. The sensors were successfully applied for CAB determination in real samples, including human serum, urine, pharmaceutical formulations, and environmental water (lake and tap water), demonstrating excellent accuracy, repeatability, and selectivity against common interferents. These findings establish ZIF-12/GCE as a promising electrochemical platform for CAB detection across diverse sample matrices, with potential applications in environmental monitoring and pharmaceutical analysis.