The use of particle beam mass spectrometry for the measurement of impurities in a nabumetone drug substance, not easily amenable to atmospheric pressure ionisation techniques.

Abstract

Liquid chromatography/particle beam mass spectrometry (LC/PB-MS) was used for the structural elucidation of some impurities in nabumetone as this compound poorly ionises by atmospheric pressure ionisation (API) techniques. PB-MS was optimised for nabumetone and a sensitivity study was carried out. To obtain full scan electron ionisation spectra a minimum of 100 ng of compound on column was needed. By using 20 mg/mL solutions of nabumetone, impurities at levels of about 250 ppm mass fraction relative to nabumetone could be detected. Results were compared with LC/API-MS and previous GC/MS.