Electrochemical Sensors and Methods for Determination of Illicit Drugs and Nervous System Drugs

Drugs of the nervous system (ATC group N) belong generally to the most commonly (mis)used substances worldwide. Their determination and monitoring of these drugs and their metabolites in various body fluids or environmental matrices represent a challenge for analytical chemists. This project is focused on the most frequently prescribed and newly introduced psycholeptics (N05) and psychoanaleptics (N06) of precisely specified structures and/or defined properties. For toxicological and pharmacokinetic reasons, emphasis will be placed on investigating the reaction mechanisms of their metabolite formation. Therefore, new or alternative (to commonly used) electroanalytical methods (possibly in combination with other techniques, e.g., mass spectroscopy, electrophoresis, polarimetry) applicable for monitoring and characterization of target compounds in their pure state, in body fluids, wastewaters, and other environmental matrices, will be developed. To improve the substantial chemometric parameters and sensing characteristics, our attention will be paid to the construction of new electrochemical sensors, detectors (screen-printed, 3D, etc.), and cells, based on (modified or unmodified) traditional or nontraditional materials, preferably usable at the point-of-care.