Determination of ketoprofen based on its quenching effect in the fluorescence of quantum dots

Ketoprofen is a potent nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used for the treatment of inflammatory diseases and musculoskeletal injuries. Taking into account the increasing consumption of this drug, it is important to develop a rapid, easy, and reliable analytical strategy for its quality control. In this work, we present a novel method for ketoprofen determination, based on its quenching effect produced in the fluorescence of CdTe quantum dots modified by mercaptopropionic acid. Under optimized conditions, the method was linear in the range of 7.5–100 μg/mL, with a detection limit of 2.3 μg/mL and relative standard deviations lower than 2%. It was applied to the determination of ketoprofen in pharmaceutical formulations, obtaining results in good agreement with those provided by the manufacturer.