Microscopic Protonation/Deprotonation Equilibria of the Anti-Inflammatory Agent Piroxicam

The microscopic ionization behavior of piroxicam was investigated using two different approaches, i.e., direct UV spectroscopy and an indirect analogue approach (deductive method). The best microscopic pK_a values (pK_a12 = 4.60, pK_a21 = 5.40, pK_a22 = 2.72, and pK_a11 = 1.92) were obtained by the deductive method using as pK_a22 the pK_a of the enolic O-methylated piroxicam 2 . The results show remarkable electrostatic effects in the protonation/deprotonation equilibria, a marked increase in the acidity of the enolic function (2.68 pK_a units) being caused by the pyridinium group. The electronic structure of piroxicam was studied based on ¹H-NMR chemical shifts at various ionization states, indicating an extended electron conjugation through the molecule. The partition measurements in octan-1-ol/H₂O of zwitterionic compound 3 (the pyridyl N-methyl derivative of piroxicam ( 1 )) suggest that the two opposite charges in zwitterionic piroxicam are indeed in a close intramolecular proximity.