# A Silver–Copper–Aluminum Layered Double Hydroxide Sensor for Sensitive Determination of Anticancer Agent Afatinib in Bulk and Biological Fluids

## TL;DR

A new sensor using a silver-copper-aluminum nanocomposite can detect the cancer drug Afatinib with high sensitivity in both bulk and biological samples.

## Contribution

The first electrochemical sensor for Afatinib using a trimetallic nanocomposite, offering high sensitivity and practical utility.

## Key findings

- The AgCuAl-LDH sensor achieved a sensitivity of 1.65 μA·μM–1·cm–2 and a detection limit of 2.99 nM.
- The sensor successfully detected Afatinib in pharmaceutical and biological samples.
- The nanocomposite showed excellent electrochemical performance with low charge transfer resistance.

## Abstract

Afatinib (AFA), a
powerful tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is an FDA-approved drug used to
treat advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with certain EGFR
mutations. As the first irreversible EGFR inhibitor approved for the
treatment of lung cancer, it plays a key role in blocking EGFR signaling,
making it a significant therapy in targeted cancer treatment. This
study presents a pioneering electrochemical approach for determining
AFA, a clinically significant anticancer agent, utilizing a novel
sensor based on a trimetallic nanocomposite, silver–copper–aluminum
layered double hydroxide (AgCuAl-LDH). The sensor was fabricated through
a facile, cost-effective hydrothermal synthesis method, resulting
in a robust and highly conductive nanomaterial. Structural and morphological
characterization via X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron
microscopy (SEM) confirmed the successful formation of the nanocomposite
with desirable crystalline and surface properties. Electrochemical
evaluation of AFA was conducted using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and
differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), where the sensor exhibited a
significantly enhanced response. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
(EIS) further validated the superior electrochemical performance of
the sensor, showing reduced charge transfer resistance and elevated
conductivity. The proposed sensor demonstrated outstanding analytical
performance with a high sensitivity of 1.65 μA·μM–1·cm–2, a wide linear detection
range from 0.02 to 13.1 μM, and an impressively low detection
limit of 2.99 nM. Importantly, the sensor was successfully applied
to real pharmaceutical formulations and biological samples, confirming
its practical utility in clinical and quality control settings. This
work marks the first electrochemical detection strategy for Afatinib,
filling a critical gap in analytical methodologies and paving the
way for advanced, efficient, and accessible sensing platforms in oncology
drug monitoring.