# Green synthesis of silver tungstate/ionic liquid-modified electrode for highly efficient electrochemical detection of the antidepressant Vortioxetine

## TL;DR

A new eco-friendly sensor was developed to efficiently detect the antidepressant Vortioxetine using a modified electrode.

## Contribution

A novel green synthesis method and electrode modification for sensitive Vortioxetine detection.

## Key findings

- The Ag2WO₄/IL-modified CPE showed enhanced electrochemical activity with increased oxidation currents.
- The sensor detected Vortioxetine with high sensitivity (detection limit of 0.01 µM) and excellent linearity.
- The platform demonstrated strong selectivity, stability, and reproducibility with recovery rates between 97.0 and 103.3%.

## Abstract

In this experimental work, silver tungstate nanostructures were fabricated by a simple combustion synthesis method utilizing sucrose molecules as a new environmentally friendly fuel and structure-controlling agent. Subsequently, a carbon paste electrode (CPE) was modified with the Ag2WO₄ nanocomposite and an ionic liquid (IL) to exploit the synergistic effects of both materials, yielding a cost-effective and highly efficient platform for the electrochemical detection of Vortioxetine (VRT). The Ag2WO₄/IL-modified CPE exhibited markedly enhanced electrochemical activity compared to the bare electrode, as evidenced by the increased oxidation currents and reduced charge-transfer resistance observed in cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analyses. The sensor demonstrated excellent linearity across a wide concentration range (0.03–60 µM) under optimized conditions, with a detection limit of 0.01 µM, indicating high sensitivity in adsorptive differential pulse voltammetry (AdsDPV) measurements. Additionally, the platform displayed excellent selectivity, stability, and reproducibility, with recovery values between 97.0 and 103.3% and relative standard deviation (RSD) values from 2.1 to 3.6%. The findings affirm the potential of the Ag2WO₄/IL/CPE sensor for precise quantification of VRT in biological fluids and pharmaceutical formulations. This work presents a promising electrochemical sensing strategy with potential extensions to other neuroactive drugs in clinical diagnostics.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-025-28420-9.