Development of a new taurine purity certified reference material

Abstract

Taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) is a conditionally necessary amino acid with valuable physiological functions. This paper describes the development of a taurine purity certified reference material (CRM) based on the principle of ISO. The characterization was carried out using mass balance and quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The mass balance method involved measuring the main component, as well as moisture, volatile impurities, and inorganic impurities. The main component of the CRM was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection and pre-column derivatization. The homogeneity assessment, stability study and uncertainty assessment were also examined. The purity of the CRM was sufficiently homogeneous. It remained stable for 24 months at room temperature and for 28 days at 60 °C. The definite value was 99.8 % with the relative expanded uncertainty of 0.6 % (k = 2) at a confidence level of 95 %. The CRM is capable of validating the analytical measurements in laboratories, to ensure the accuracy, traceability, reliability, and comparability of analytical results from different laboratories.