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Schiff bases and their transition metal complexes are inexpensive and easy to synthesize. These compounds display several structural and electronic features that allow their application in numerous research fields. Over the last three decades, electroanalytical scientists of various areas have developed electrochemical sensors from many compounds. The present review discusses the applicability of Schiff bases, their transition metal complexes and new materials containing these compounds as electrode modifiers in sensors to detect analytes of forensic, pharmaceutical and environmental interest. In forensic sciences, Schiff bases are mainly used to analyze illicit drugs: chemical reactions involving Schiff bases can help to elucidate illicit drug production and to determine analytes in seized samples. In the environmental area, given that most methodologies provide Limit of Detection (LOD) values below the values recommended by regulatory agencies, Schiff bases constitute a promising strategy. As for pharmaceutical applications, Schiff bases represent an approach for analysis of complex biological samples containing low levels of the target analytes in the presence of a large quantity of interfering compounds. This review will show that new highly specific materials can be synthesized based on Schiff bases and applied in the pharmaceutical industry, toxicological studies, electrocatalysis and biosensors. Most literature papers have reported on Schiff bases combined with carbon paste to give a chemically modified electrode that is easy and inexpensive to produce and which displays specific and selective sensing capacity for different applications.

The worldwide attention for illicit drug consumption is known, mainly cocaine and marijuana, which were the most commonly apprehended drugs. In this study, we adapted conventional systems for voltammetric analysis for identifying these drugs using screen-printed electrode (SPE) devices in a portable potentiostat. For cocaine determination, a commercial platinum screen-printed electrode (Pt-SPE) with a cobalt hexacyanoferrate film (CoHCFe) presented the best results in comparison to other available models, and for Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), no chemical modification was required on the carbon screen-printed electrodes (C-SPEs). The results allowed the use of the adapted systems with good analytical parameters: cocaine and Δ​9-THC determination presented a sensibility equal to 2.02 × 10−2 and 2.65 × 10−7 A L mol−1 , respectively. Finally, the developed procedures showed an application for electrochemical analysis in forensic context, besides the results obtained to comply with reliable results which forensic analysis must have.

Platinum and glassy carbon electrodes chemically modified with films of Schiff bases of [UO 2 (3-MeOSalen)(H 2 O)] · H 2 O and [UO 2 (5-MeOSalen)(H 2 O)] · H 2 O, to determine cocaine were developed. The stability of these films in aqueous solution containing 1.0 mol L − 1 KCl and HCl 1.0 mM in pH 3 as supporting electrolyte and conducted cyclic voltammetric analysis of cocaine in the same supporting electrolyte were investigated. A reversible interaction between cocaine and the working electrodes increased the original peak current of the surface-modifier, according to the employed species. The determination of cocaine using the developed electrodes depended linearly on cocaine concentration in the range 0.54–9.10 μmol L − 1 , with amperometric sensitivities of 5.21 × 10 7 and 1.66 × 10 5 μA mol − 1 L, limits of quantification of 0.29 and 0.50 μmol L − 1 , and limits of detection of 0.07 and 0.15 μmol L − 1 , respectively.

The development of methodologies using inexpensive, fast, and reliable instrumention is desirable in illicit drug analysis. The purpose of this study was based on cyclic voltammetry technique to differentiate the electrochemical behavior of ∆(9) -THC, the psychoactive substance in marijuana, and five different extract plants to yield false positive results after analysis protocol for cannabinoids using thin-layer chromatography and Fast Blue B salt. After applying a deposition potential of -0.5 V in a glassy carbon working electrode, the results indicated an anodic peak current at 0.0 V versus Ag/AgCl after addition of ∆(9) -THC solution in the electrochemical cell, and limits of detection and quantification were 1.0 ng mL(-1) and 3.5 ng mL(-1) , respectively. Other interfering plants showed distinct amperometric responses. This methodology was useful to detect ∆(9) -THC even in the presence of the Fast Blue B salt, which avoided false positive results for all the studied extract plants.

A maconha é a droga ilícita mais consumida no mundo, tem como substância psicoativa o delta-9-tetraidrocanabinol (9-THC). Os testes colorimétricos são normalmente realizados em amostras de maconha (e para qualquer outra droga ilícita) apreendidas. A adição de reagentes específicos em uma solução de extrato de maconha pode indicar a presença de substância ilícita mediante mudança de cor. No entanto, a literatura recentemente tem relatado ocorrências de resultados falso-positivos quando os testes colorimétricos são aplicados em algumas folhagens de diversas espécies de plantas. Este estudo utilizou as técnicas voltamétricas em meio orgânico N-N-dimetilformamida utilizando tetrafluoroborato de tetrabutilamônio como eletrólito de suporte e eletrodos de trabalho de disco de carbono vítreo e platina. Aplicando-se um potencial de pré concentração em - 0,5 V, verifica-se um pico de corrente anódica em ± 0,01 V vs Ag/AgCl ,KCl(sat). Utilizando eletrodo de disco de carbono vítreo como eletrodo de trabalho, na modalidade de onda quadrada, obteve-se uma dependência linear na faixa de concentração entre 1,0 x 10-9 mol L-1 a 2,2 x 10-8 mol L-1, com um coeficiente de correlação linear em 0,999 e um limite de detecção de 6,2 x 10-10 mol L-1. Tais resultados possibilitaram a determinação de 9-THC na ordem de nmol L-1. Marijuana, the illicit drug that is most consumed worldwide, contains 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (9-THC) as the main psychoactive substance. Presumptive colorimetric tests are usually performed on seized marijuana (or any illicit drug) samples: the addition of specific reagents to the marijuana extract solution prompts a change in. This study was developed using voltammetric techniques in organic medium (N,N-dimethylformamide) using tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate (TBATFB) as supporting electrolyte, and glassy carbon and platinum disc as working electrode. Applying a pre-concentration potential of -0.5 by square-wave voltammetry, we detected a well-defined anodic peak current in ± 0.01 V versus Ag/AgCl, KCl(sat); 9-THC detection presented linear dependence at concentrations ranging from 1.0 × 10-9 mol L-1 to 2.2 × 10-8 mol L-1, with a linear correlation coefficient 0.999 and a detection limit of 6.2 × 10-10 mol L-1, using the glassy carbon disc working electrode.

This study aimed to develop an electrode chemically modified with cucurbit[6]uril to detect 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), the main active principle of ecstasy samples, by voltammetry. We modified the electrode surface with a film containing cucurbit[6]uril, Nafion, and methanol, using the dip coating or the spin coating technique. During analysis, we employed an electrochemical cell with a conventional three-electrode system and KCl solution (0.1 mol L−1) as the supporting electrolyte. We conducted cyclic voltammetry at concentrations ranging from 4.2 × 10−6 to 4.8 × 10−5mol L−1. We also accomplished scanning electron microscopy, to investigate the structural behavior of the film that originated on the electrode surface. We obtained the following results when we used dip coating to prepare the modified electrode: standard deviation (SD) = 0.024 μA, limit of detection (LOD) = 3.5 μmol L−1, limit of quantification (LOQ) = 11.7 μmol L−1, and amperometric sensitivity (m) = 20.9 × 103 μA L mol−1. As for spin coating, we obtained SD = 0.024 μA, LOD = 2.7 μmol L−1, LOQ = 9.1 μmol L−1 and m = 25.9 × 103 μA mol L−1. These are very promising data: the modified electrode is more sensitive than the conventional glassy carbon electrode under the studied experimental conditions.

A fast and non-destructive voltammetric method to detect cocaine in confiscated samples based on carbon paste electrode modified with methoxy-substituted N,N'-ethylene-bis(salcylideneiminato)uranyl(VI)complexes, [UO2(X-MeOSalen)(H2O)] · H2O, where X corresponds to the positions 3, 4 or 5 of the methoxy group on the aromatic ring, is described. The electrochemical behavior of the modified electrode and the electrochemical detection of cocaine were investigated using cyclic voltammetry. Using 0.1 mol · L(-1) KCl as supporting-electrolyte, a concentration-dependent, well-defined peak current for cocaine at 0.62 V, with an amperometric sensitivity of 6.25 × 104 μA · mol · L(-1) for cocaine concentrations ranging between 1.0 × 10(-7) and 1.3 × 10(-6) mol · L-1 was obtained. Chemical interference studies using lidocaine and procaine were performed. The position of the methoxy group affects the results, with the 3-methoxy derivative being the most sensitive.

Environment contamination with drugs even at concentrations in the order mg L-1 and ng L-1 culminates in environmental and public health problems because these substances are biologically active. For this reason, the pursuit of instrumental methods for the determination of these substances has been the main target of several investigators. Captopril, an antihypertensive drug employed for the treatment of heart failure, has been identified by means of electrochemical technique. To this end, a platinum electrode modified with an iron (III) hexacyanoferrate (II) film (Prussian blue) associated with the cyclic voltammetry mode has been utilized. Our results have furnished a linear correlation coefficient (r) of 0.998 with a standard deviation (SD) of 0.007 μA, a detection limit (based on the 3 SD/m ratio) in 7 µmol L-1, and a quantification limit (based on the relationship 10 SD/m) of 23.3 µmol L-1.

A new voltammetric method for the determination of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) is described. The voltammetric experiments were accomplished in N-N dimethylformamide/water (9:1, v/v), using tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate (TBATFB) 0.1 mol/L as supporting electrolyte and a glassy carbon disk electrode as the working electrode. The anodic peak current was observed at 0.0 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) after a 30 s pre-concentration step under an applied potential of −1.2 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). A linear dependence of Δ9-THC detection was obtained in the concentration range 2.4–11.3 ng/mL, with a linear correlation coefficient of 0.999 and a detection limit of 0.34 ng/mL. The voltammetric method was used to measure the content of Δ9-THC in samples (hemp and hashish) confiscated by the police. The elimination of chemical interferences from the samples was promptly achieved through prior purification using the TLC technique, by employing methanol/water (4:1, v/v) as the mobile phase. The results showed excellent correlation with results attained by HPLC.