Abstract
Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) of pharmaceutical drugs that contain paracetamol was investigated in air and argon atmospheres. The characteristic neutral and ionic spectral lines of various elements and molecular signatures of CN violet and C2 Swan band systems were observed. The relative hardness of all drug samples was measured as well. Principal component analysis, a multivariate method, was applied in the data analysis for demarcation purposes of the drug samples. The CN violet and C2 Swan spectral radiances were investigated for evaluation of a possible correlation of the chemical and molecular structures of the pharmaceuticals. Complementary Raman and Fourier-transform-infrared spectroscopies were used to record the molecular spectra of the drug samples. The application of the above techniques for drug screening are important for the identification and mitigation of drugs that contain additives that may cause adverse side-effects.
Highlights
Paracetamol (PCM) is a medication that is frequently used for the relief of mild to moderate pain and fever experienced by people of all ages [1]
This work introduces a new approach for drug compositional analysis, namely a combination of analytical methods including laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), and Raman and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR)
The study conditionally enables one to engage in simultaneous study of atomic and molecular compositions of pharmaceuticals using LIBS
Summary
Paracetamol (PCM) is a medication that is frequently used for the relief of mild to moderate pain and fever experienced by people of all ages [1]. It is registered in the model list of essential medicines published by the World Health Organization (WHO) that communicates the most important medications for the sustenance of human health [2]. Various laser-based approaches are available for the elemental analysis of solids, liquids, gases, and heterogeneous biological matrices including drug samples; but fast and cost-effective techniques are vital in manufacturing [3,4]. Recent studies reveal that LIBS can be an efficient tool for the rapid identification and quantification of a drug’s elemental composition [7,8,9,10]
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