A sensitive and selective electrochemical sensor was fabricated via the drop-casting of carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) suspension onto a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The application of this sensor was investigated in simultaneous determination of acetaminophen (ACE) and tramadol (TRA) drugs in pharmaceutical dosage form and ACE determination in human plasma. In order to study the electrochemical behaviors of the drugs, cyclic and differential pulse voltammetric studies of ACE and IRA were carried out at the surfaces of the modified GCE (MGCE) and the bare GCE. The dependence of peak currents and potentials on pH, concentration and the potential scan rate were investigated for these compounds at the surface of MGCE. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used for the characterization of the film modifier and its morphology on the surface of GCE. The results of the electrochemical investigations showed that CNPs, via a thin layer model based on the diffusion within a porous layer, enhanced the electroactive surface area and caused a remarkable increase in the peak currents. The thin layer of the modifier showed a catalytic effect and accelerated the rate of the electron transfer process. Application of the MGCE resulted in a sensitivity enhancement and a considerable decrease in the anodic overpotential, leading to negative shifts in peak potentials. An optimum electrochemical response was obtained for the sensor in the buffered solution of pH 7.0 and using 2 mu L CNPs suspension cast on the surface of GCE. Using differential pulse voltammetry, the prepared sensor showed good sensitivity and selectivity for the determination of ACE and TRA in wide linear ranges of 0.1-100 and 10-1000 mu M, respectively. The resulted detection limits for ACE and IRA was 0.05 and 1 mu M, respectively. The CNPs modified GCE was successfully applied for ACE and TRA determinations in pharmaceutical dosage forms and also for the determination of ACE in human plasma. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.