Complementary Instrumental Techniques Applied to Pain Relieving Tablets in an Undergraduate Laboratory Experiment

Journal of Chemical Education, vol. 101, pp. 4370–4380

Abstract

Several unconnected laboratory experiments are usually offered for students in instrumental analysis lab. To give the students a more rational overview of the most common instrumental techniques, a new laboratory experiment was developed. Marketed pain relief drugs, familiar consumer products with one to three active components, namely, acetaminophen (paracetamol), acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), and caffeine, were selected. Common analytical methods were compared regarding the performance of qualitative and quantitative analysis of unknown tablets: UV–visible (UV–vis), infrared (IR), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopies, as well as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The students successfully uncovered the composition of formulations, which were divided into three difficulty categories. Students were shown that in addition to simple mixtures handled in theoretical classes, the composition of complex drug products can also be uncovered. By comparing the performance of different techniques, students deepen their understanding and compare the efficiency of analytical methods in the context of complex mixtures. The laboratory experiment can be adjusted for graduate level by including extra tasks such as method optimization, validation, and 2D spectroscopic techniques.

Authors 3

1. Klaudia Adels Aachen Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology

   FH Aachen

   Affiliation as printed

   University of Applied Sciences Aachen, Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Heinrich-Mußmann-Straße 1, D-52428 Jülich, Germany

2. Vera Thönnessen Aachen Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology

   FH Aachen

   Affiliation as printed

   University of Applied Sciences Aachen, Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Heinrich-Mußmann-Straße 1, D-52428 Jülich, Germany

3. Yulia Borisovna Monakhova corresponding Aachen Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology

   FH Aachen · Saratov State University

   Affiliation as printed

   Saratov State University, Institute of Chemistry, Astrakhanskaya Street 83, 410012 Saratov, Russia

   University of Applied Sciences Aachen, Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Heinrich-Mußmann-Straße 1, D-52428 Jülich, Germany