Flow-injection spectrophotometric determination of dipyrone in pharmaceutical formulations using a solid-phase reactor with copper(II) phosphate

In this work, a flow-injection spectrophotometric method for dipyrone determination in pharmaceutical formulations was developed. Dipyrone sample solutions were injected into a carrier stream of deionized water and the reaction was carried out in a solid-phase reactor (12 cm, 2.0 mm i.d.) packed with Cu₃(PO₄)_2(s) entrapped in a matrix of polyester resin. The Cu(II) ions were released from the solid phase reactor by the formation of Cu(II)-(dipyrone)_n complex. When the complex is released, it reacts with 0.02% m/v alizarin red S in deionized water to produce a Cu(VABO₃)₃ complex whose absorbance was monitored at 540 nm. The calibration graph was linear over the range 5.0×10^?5–4.0×10^?4 mol L^?1 with a detection limit of 2.0×10^?5 mol L^?1 and relative standard deviation for 10 successive determinations of 1.5% (2.0×10^?4 mol L^?1 dipyrone solution). The calculated sample throughput was 60 h^?1. The column was stable for at least 8 h of continuous use (500 injections) at 25°C. Pharmaceutical formulations were analyzed and the results from an official procedure measurement were compared with those from the proposed FIA method in order to validate the latter method.