Application of LC–NMR to the identification of bulk drug impurities in NK1 antagonist GW597599 (vestipitant)

Liquid chromatography‐NMR (LC–NMR) spectroscopy was used to obtain detailed information regarding the structure of the major bulk drug impurities present in GW597599 (vestipitant). The one‐dimensional ¹H LC–NMR experiments were performed in both continuous and stop‐flow modes on a sample of GW597599 (vestipitant) enriched with mother liquor impurities. The information derived from both LC–NMR and LC–MS data provided the structural information of all major impurities. The full characterisation of the impurities by high‐resolution NMR spectroscopy was ultimately performed on appropriately synthesised compounds. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Enantio- and chemo-selective HPLC separations by chiral-achiral tandem-columns approach: the combination of CHIROBIOTIC TAG and SCX columns for the analysis of propionyl carnitine and related impurities

We describe a new tandem-columns chiral-achiral HPLC arrangement by using a chiral column (CHIROBIOTIC TAG) connected in series with an achiral column (Spherisorb S5 SCX), based on a strong cationic exchange mechanism; this approach is very useful for the analysis of chiral molecules, containing cationic groups in their structures. We used this special combination to develop an easy and convenient procedure for the enantio- and chemo-selective dosage of propionyl L-carnitine (1) and relative impurities (2-6), which allowed for the simultaneous separation and quantitation within 30 min. Under the best chromatographic conditions (acetonitrile-10 mM sodium dihydrogen phosphate 65:35, v/v (pHa 6.80) as the mobile phase and UV detection at 205 nm], all the individual peaks were well separated. The applicability of the method, fully validated, was demonstrated by the analysis of a pharmaceutical batch of propionyl L-carnitine, where we found the following contents: 98.5% for 1 (drug substance); 0.15% for 3; 0.1% for 5 and 0.2% for 6. The enantiomeric excess (e.e.%) measured for the drug substance was 98.9%. Finally, a single mixed-bed column, packed with a binary mixture of the chiral and achiral phases, in a 1:1 ratio, gave similar chromatographic results as the tandem-columns approach, and thus, offered an easy alternative solution to the separation of the considered mixture.     

Interaction between pentaethylene glycol n-octyl ether and low-molecular-weight poly(acrylic acid)

The interaction between pentaethylene glycol n-octyl ether (C8E5) and low-molecular-weight poly(acrylic acid) (PAA, M(w)=2000) in aqueous solution has been investigated by various experimental techniques at constant polymer concentration (0.1% w/w) with varying surfactant molality. Spectrofluorimetry, using pyrene as molecular probe, shows (i) the formation of surfactant-polymer aggregates at a surfactant molality (T(1)) lower than the critical micelle concentration (cmc) of C8E5 in water and (ii) the formation of free micelles at a surfactant molality (T(2)) slightly higher than the cmc. Fluorescence quenching measurements indicate that the presence of PAA induces a lowering of the C8E5 aggregation number. Calorimetry confirms spectrofluorimetric evidence; in addition, it shows the presence of weak interactions below T(1) between monomeric surfactant molecules and the polymer chains. Tensiometry shows that, above T(1), only a low fraction of surfactant molecules interact with the polymer and that free micelle formation occurs before polymer saturation. The peculiarities of the interaction between surfactants and low-molecular-weight polymers have been discussed.     

Chirality of products in acid-catalysed rearrangement of α-pinene

Protonation of (1R)-(+)-a-pinene using gaseous H₃ ⁺ ions led to a racemic mixture of camphene and limonene, to partial and no racemization, in acidic solutions and in solid acids, respectively. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The first gas chromatographic resolution of carnitine enantiomers

The enantiomers of carnitine are converted on-line in the injection port of a gas chromatograph into beta-hydroxy-gamma-butyrolactones and are separated on a derivatized beta-cyclodextrin chiral stationary phase.     

Transport Properties of Aqueous Solutions of Alkyltrimethylammonium Bromide Surfactants at 25 degrees C

Intradiffusion coefficients, D, of n-alkyltrimethylammonium bromides [CH(3)-(CH(2))(n-1)-N(CH(3))(3)Br, C(n)TAB] (n=6, 8, 10, 12) in mixtures with heavy water were measured by the PGSE-NMR technique at 25 degrees C. The experimental data permitted evaluation of the influence of the alkyl chain length on the surfactant self-aggregation process. For all the surfactants considered, the D trend showed a slope change corresponding to the critical micellar composition (cmc). In the premicellar composition range, D decreased linearly with the square root of the surfactant molality. The D values extrapolated at infinite dilution were related to the limiting mutual diffusion coefficients, determined through the Taylor dispersion technique. In the micellar composition range, solubilized tetramethylsilane (TMS) molecules were used to determine the micelle intradiffusion coefficient, D(M), from which the aggregate radii and the aggregation numbers were obtained. The decreasing trend of D(M) with increasing surfactant molality was interpreted in terms of interparticle electrostatic repulsion. D(M) values allowed evaluation of the Gouy-Chapman layer thickness. The solvent intradiffusion coefficient in the heavy water-C(n)TAB mixtures, D(w), was also measured. It decreased with increasing surfactant molality. For n=8, 10, 12 the D(w) trend presented a slope change at the cmc, which could be ascribed to the strong decrease in hydration of surfactant molecules upon micellization. Because of its short hydrophobic tail, C(6)TAB exhibited peculiar aggregation behavior. Its cmc, which is poorly marked, is lower than the value predicted by extrapolating the cmc values obtained for the other terms of the series. The C(6)TAB aggregates do not solubilize TMS molecules; the estimated aggregation number is extremely low ( approximately 3). Finally, no abrupt slope change in the solvent intradiffusion coefficient trend was detected. This evidence suggests that C(6)TAB molecules do not micellize in aqueous solution, but form trimers in which the surfactant hydrophobic tails are not hidden from contact with water molecules. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.     

Fullerene C60 Trichloromethylation Through CCl4 Plasmalysis or Sonolysis

The trichloromethylation of C₆₀ fullerene was achieved either under plasmalysis conditions, i.e. by arcing a solution of C₆₀ in CCl₄ between two graphite electrodes, or by sonolysis of C₆₀ in CCl₄. The resulting products were studied by UV–VIS and FT-IR spectroscopy as well as by thermogravimetric analysis in comparison to the trichloromethyl adducts formed by radiolysis or photolysis of C₆₀ in CCl₄. A reference study on the plasmalysis of pure CCl₄ has revealed the formation of carbon soot and hexachlorobenzene. The formation of the latter compound was suppressed when C₆₀ was present in CCl₄.     

The role of chemometrics in single and sequential extraction assays: a review. Part II. Cluster analysis, multiple linear regression, mixture resolution, experimental design and other techniques

Single and sequential extraction procedures are used for studying element mobility and availability in solid matrices, like soils, sediments, sludge, and airborne particulate matter. In the first part of this review we reported an overview on these procedures and described the applications of chemometric uni- and bivariate techniques and of multivariate pattern recognition techniques based on variable reduction to the experimental results obtained. The second part of the review deals with the use of chemometrics not only for the visualization and interpretation of data, but also for the investigation of the effects of experimental conditions on the response, the optimization of their values and the calculation of element fractionation. We will describe the principles of the multivariate chemometric techniques considered, the aims for which they were applied and the key findings obtained. The following topics will be critically addressed: pattern recognition by cluster analysis (CA), linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and other less common techniques; modelling by multiple linear regression (MLR); investigation of spatial distribution of variables by geostatistics; calculation of fractionation patterns by a mixture resolution method (Chemometric Identification of Substrates and Element Distributions, CISED); optimization and characterization of extraction procedures by experimental design; other multivariate techniques less commonly applied.     

Radiation-Induced Polymerization of Vinylidene Chloride in Bulk and Included in Thiourea Crystals

Vinylidene chloride (VDC) or 1,1-dichloroethylene was polymerized with γ radiation in bulk or as inclusion complex in thiourea crystals (inclusion polymerization). The resulting poly(vinylidenechloride) (PVDC) samples obtained from the two different polymerization techniques were characterized by FT-IR and electronic absorption spectroscopies, by ozonolysis and by thermal analysis (TGA, DTG and DTA). It was found that two selective secondary reactions occur in the two PVDC samples, respectively obtained from bulk polymerization or from inclusion polymerization. In the former case, the main reaction is only a crosslinking reaction, while in the latter case, with the PVDC included into the thiourea channels, the crosslinking reaction is fully inhibited and instead a dehydrohalogenation reaction takes place producing the polyene structures. The presence of polyene structures in the PVDC synthesized by the inclusion polymerization was demonstrated by electronic absorption spectroscopy and by ozonolysis experiments. The presence of polyene segments in the PVDC causes a reduction in the thermal stability of the polymer, lowers its melting point and reduces its crystallinity.