Determination of Micro Amounts of Promethazine Hydrochloride in Pure and Pharmaceutical Samples Using UV- Visible Spectrophotometry

Abstract

This study presents the development of a novel, facile, and overly sensitive spectrophotometric approach for quantifying promethazine hydrochloride (PRO) within its pharmaceutical formulations. The method capitalizes on an oxidative coupling reaction, achieved through the oxidation of the compound in an acidic milieu utilizing ammonium cerium (IV) sulfate dehydrate (Ce+4) solution. This process leads to the creation of a green-colored solution, which, upon conjugation with 5-aminosalicylic acid, exhibits maximum absorption at a wavelength of 598 nm. The methodology investigated several parameters, encompassing oxidation duration, temperature, quantities of oxidizing agent and coupling reagent, and determining the stoichiometric ratio between promethazine hydrochloride and 5-aminosalicylic acid. The established ratio was confirmed to be 1:1. Numerous organic solvents were evaluated, with water emerging as the optimal choice due to its pronounced absorption characteristics at the 598 nm wavelength. The applicability of Beer's law was verified over a concentration range of 2 - 28 μg/mL of promethazine hydrochloride, with a calculated molar absorption coefficient of 1.9606 x 104 L/mol∙cm. The Sandell sensitivity index was determined as 0.0164 μg/cm2, while the relative standard deviation (RSD) ranged from 0.8553- 1.2671%. Notably, recovery percentages were also within the 99.88 – 100.34% range. The efficacy of this technique was effectively demonstrated through its successful application in the analysis of pharmaceutical formulations containing promethazine hydrochloride, employing the standard method as a benchmark.