Use of differential scanning potentiometry in pharmaceutical analysis.

The use of differential scanning potentiometry (DSP) to assay pure drugs and mixtures is illustrated through a set of model cases. The profiles obtained by scanning glycine (0.3 mmol), sulfanilamide (0.3 mmol), epinephrine (0.06 mmol), and norfloxacin (0.05 mmol) are reported, as well as the areas (A+, A-, and At) obtained in each scan. Such information is useful to assess identity and/or chemical purity and to get the pKa of the ionizing groups of the drugs. The degree of hydrolysis of a parenteral solution of procaine hydrochloride is also determined through DSP as an example of mixture assay. Comparison with conventional aqueous acid-based potentiometry shows that the new technique exhibits much better performance to assay small samples or samples carrying weak acidic and/or basic groups.