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.