Electrochemical determination of furaltadone hydrochloride by hierarchically structured titanium phosphate

This work presents the synthesis and investigation of electrochemical properties of micro-spherical titanium phosphate (TiP) with complex composition and hierarchical structure. The material comprises centrically aggregated micro-sized flakes, employed as a highly efficient electroactive modifier in carbon paste electrodes. The key finding is the superior electrochemical performance of the TiP 1/6 sample (average microsphere size: ~8 μm), which exhibited the lowest charge transfer resistance (Rct = 12 Ω) and highest response current (I = 1.37 mA) among all tested microspheres. This enhancement is attributed to an optimal balance between two critical parameters: (i) surface composition ensuring low charge-transfer resis-tance, and (ii) hierarchical structure of aggregated micro-scales, facilitating efficient reagent diffusion to ac-tive sites. Smaller microspheres (~4 μm, Rct = 41 Ω) demonstrated minimal diffusion barriers, while larger ones (~15 μm, Rct = 15 Ω) displayed favorable surface composition, making TiP 1/6 sample optimized with both characteristics. The TiP 1/6-based sensor has delivered exceptional analytical performance, including a low detection limit of a widespread antibiotic, wide linear working range, and high selectivity. Successful real-sample analysis confirms its practical utility. These results highlight the significant potential of hierar-chical TiP 1/6 microspheres for developing highly sensitive and selective electrochemical sensors, suitable for both research and commercial applications.