Electrochemical behavior and square wave voltammetric determination of doxorubicin hydrochloride

Abstract

The electrochemical behavior of doxorubicin hydrochloride was investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV). From CV and SWV studies of doxorubicin hydrochloride in the acetate buffers of various pH values, it was found that protons were involved in the reduction of the antibiotic at the H⁺/e⁻ ratio at one (AEp/pH = −53 ~ −61 mV at 23°C), proposing the electrochemical reduction of the quinone moiety in its anthraquinone aglycone. Its electrochemical behavior was pseudo-reversible in the acetate buffer of pH 3.5 by exhibiting the well-defined single cathodic and anodic waves and the ratio of lp^a/lp^c at approximately one over the scan rates of 10~100 mV/s. Fast and sensitive SWV showing a single peak of doxorubicin has been applied for its quantitative analysis using an acetate buffer of pH 3.5. A linearity was obtained when the peak currents (Ip) were plotted against concentrations of doxorubicin in the range of 5.0×10⁻⁷ M~1.0×10⁻⁵ M with a detection limit of 1.0×10⁻⁷ M.