Spectrophotometeric determination of someN-substituted phenothiazine derivatives usingN-bromophthalimide

A simple, rapid and sensitive spectrophotometric method is described for the quantitative determination ofN-substituted phenothiazines. The method depends on the formation of a stable phenothiazine free radical cation by the use ofN-bromophthalimide as oxidising agent in a strong acid medium (methanol/ sulphuric acid 1 1 v/v). The produced red or violet color possesses absorption maximum range from 500 to 530 nm. A linear relationship exists between the absorbance at (_max) and concentration in the range 5 to 40 g ml^–1 with apparent molar absorptivities range from 6 × 10³ to 12 × 10³1 mol^–1 cm^–1. The color is developed instantaneously for all the studied phenothiazines except for thioproperazine mesylate, trifluoperazine dihydrochloride and prochlorperazine mesylate that require 25, 15 and 25 min, respectively, for complete reaction. The developed colors are stable over 24 h. The average % recovery is 99.85±0.61 to 100.28±0.95. The method was applied successfully to the microdetermination of chlorpromazine HCl, promethazine HCl, pericyazine, thioproperazine mesylate, perphenazine, prochlorperazine mesylate, trimeprazine tartrate and trifluoperazine 2HCl either in pure form or incorporated in their pharmaceutical preparations. The results of analysis are in good agreement with those of the official B.P. 1988 and USP XXII.