A simple polyarginine membrane electrochemical sensor for the determination of MDMA and MDA.

In this study, a simple electrochemical sensor based on l-arginine membrane (P-L-arg/GCE) was developed for rapid and sensitive detection of MDMA and MDA. A polyarginine membrane was obtained through one-step direct electropolymerization, which provides more reaction sites for the analyte and improves the sensitivity of the sensor. Following the optimized selection parameters, the MDMA detection range was established at 1.0 × 10∼3.5 × 10 mol L, with a detection limit of 3.3 × 10 mol L. Similarly, the detection range for MDA was established at 1.0 × 10∼5.3 × 10 mol L with a detection limit of 3.3 × 10 mol L. Additionally, the potential oxidation mechanism of MDMA and MDA during the REDOX process was analyzed by cyclic voltammetry. Furthermore, the proposed sensor exhibited superior selectivity, excellent reproducibility, and satisfactory stability. The proposed sensors can be used for reliable monitoring of MDMA or MDA in human urine and hair samples, respectively, and it has acceptable analytical reliability and enormous potential for practical applications.