N-methylpyrrolidone exfoliated graphene as sensitive electrochemical sensing platform for 10-Hydroxycamptothecine

10-Hydroxycamptothecine (10-HCPT), a natural alkaloid, is widely used in clinical practice because of its significant anti-cancer activity and small toxic side effects. In this work, graphene nanosheets (GNs) were prepared by ultrasonic exfoliation of graphite using N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) as the solvent. The prepared GNs were characterized using transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, and then used to construct a novel sensing platform for 10-HCPT. The electrochemical behaviors of 10-HCPT on the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and GNs modified GCE (GNs/GCE) were studied. Compared with bare GCE, the prepared GNs/GCE increased the oxidation signal of 10-HCPT significantly, owing to larger active area of GNs/GCE and thus higher accumulation efficiency of 10-HCPT. Utilizing the signal amplification strategy of GNs, a highly-sensitive electrochemical method was established for the detection of 10-HCPT. The linear range was from 10.0 to 250.0 μg L−1, and the detection limit was 3.21 μg L−1 (8.81 nM). It was used to detect 10-HCPT in urine samples, and satisfactory results were obtained.