Mark T. Zell

NMR Flow Tube for Online NMR Reaction Monitoring

In this paper we describe the development of a 5 mm NMR flow tube that can be used in a standard 5 mm NMR probe, enabling the user to conduct experiments on flowing samples or, more specifically, on flowing reaction mixtures. This enables reaction monitoring or kinetic experiments to be conducted by flowing reaction mixtures from a reaction vessel to detection in the coil area of the NMR, without the need for a specialized flow NMR probe. One of the key benefits of this flow tube is that it provides flexibility to be used across a range of available spectrometers of varying magnetic field strengths with a standard 5 mm probe setup. The applicability of this flow tube to reaction monitoring is demonstrated using the reaction of p-phenylenediamine and isobutyraldehyde to form the diimine product.

Online NMR and HPLC as a Reaction Monitoring Platform for Pharmaceutical Process Development

Detector response is not always equivalent between detectors or instrument types. Factors that impact detector response include molecular structure and detection wavelength. In liquid chromatography (LC), ultraviolet (UV) is often the primary detector; however, without determination of UV response factors for each analyte, chromatographic results are reported on an area percent rather than a weight percent. In extreme cases, response factors can differ by several orders of magnitude for structurally dissimilar compounds, making the uncalibrated data useless for quantitative applications. While impurity reference standards are normally used to calculate UV relative response factors (RRFs), reference standards of reaction mixture components are typically not available during route scouting or in the early stages of process development. Here, we describe an approach to establish RRFs from a single experiment using both online nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and LC. NMR is used as a mass detector from which a UV response factor can be determined to correct the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) data. Online reaction monitoring using simultaneous NMR and HPLC provides a platform to expedite the development and understanding of pharmaceutical reaction processes. Ultimately, the knowledge provided by a structurally information rich technique such as NMR can be correlated with more prevalent and mobile instrumentation [e.g., LC, mid-infrared spectrometers (MIR)] for additional routine process understanding and optimization.

Early prediction of pharmaceutical oxidation pathways by computational chemistry and forced degradation.

AbstractPurpose. To show, using a model study, how electronic structure theory can be applied in combination with LC/UV/MS/MS for the prediction and identification of oxidative degradants. Methods. The benzyloxazole 1, was used to represent an active pharmaceutical ingredient for oxidative forced degradation studies. Bond dissociation energies (BDEs) calculated at the B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p)//B3LYP/6-31G(d) level with isodesmic corrections were used to predict sites of autoxidation. In addition, frontier molecular orbital (FMO) theory at the Hartree-Fock level was used to predict sites of peroxide oxidation and electron transfer. Compound 1 was then subjected to autoxidation and H2O2 forced degradation as well as formal stability conditions. Samples were analyzed by LC/UV/MS/MS and degradation products proposed. Results. The computational BDEs and FMO analysis of 1 was consistent with the LC/UV/MS/MS data and allowed for structural proposals, which were confirmed by LC/MS/NMR. The autoxidation conditions yielded a number of degradants not observed under peroxide degradation while formal stability conditions gave both peroxide and autoxidation degradants. Conclusions. Electronic structure methods were successfully applied in combination with LC/UV/MS/MS to predict degradation pathways and assist in spectral identification. The degradation and excipient stability studies highlight the importance of including both peroxide and autoxidation conditions in forced degradation studies.

Reaction monitoring using online vs tube NMR spectroscopy: seriously different results

We report findings from the qualitative evaluation of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) reaction monitoring techniques of how each relates to the kinetic profile of a reaction process. The study highlights key reaction rate differences observed between the various NMR reaction monitoring methods investigated: online NMR, static NMR tubes, and periodic inversion of NMR tubes. The analysis of three reaction processes reveals that rates derived from NMR analysis are highly dependent on monitoring method. These findings indicate that users must be aware of the effect of their monitoring method upon the kinetic rate data derived from NMR analysis. Copyright

An alternative interpretation of the HETCOR NMR spectra of poly(lactide)

An alternative to the assignments proposed recently by Chisholm et al. for the 1H and 13C NMR resonances of poly(lactide) based on their HETCOR spectra is presented; we find that the HETCOR spectra are consistent with older assignments of the tetrad and hexad stereosequence resonances in the 1H and 13C NMR spectra and we believe that the influence of adjacent chiral units on the NMR chemical shift extends asymmetrically and is opposite in the case of 1H and 13C nuclei; this is in contrast to the assumption that the observed chiral repeat unit for any particular stereosequence resonance is the same for 1H and 13C NMR spectra as used by Chisholm et al. in their analysis.

A detailed mechanistic investigation into the reaction of 3-methylpentanoic acid with Meldrum's acid utilizing online NMR spectroscopy

A thorough investigation into the mechanism of the reaction of 3‐methylpentanoic acid and Meldrums acid using online NMR spectroscopy is reported. This study is an expansion of a previous analysis of this chemical transformation in the synthesis of an active pharmaceutical ingredient imagabalin. The 3‐methylpentanoic acid analogue reveals similar behavior under the reaction conditions. Online NMR spectroscopy and offline characterization experiments reveal new information about the mechanism, providing conclusive spectroscopic evidence for the previously hypothesized dimer anhydride intermediate species 3‐methylpentanoic anhydride as a productive intermediate. The presence of an acyl chloride intermediate species, 3‐methylpentanoyl chloride, is also revealed for the first time in this synthesis. Copyright

2,4-dimethoxybenzoic acid and 2,5-dimethoxybenzoic acid.

The title compounds (both C(9)H(10)O(4)) have nearly planar structures, and the methyl and/or carboxylic acid groups lie out of the molecular plane, as dictated by steric interactions. 2,5-Dimethoxybenzoic acid (2,5-DMBA) forms an unusual intramolecular hydrogen bond between the carboxylic acid group and the O atom of the methoxy group in the 2-position [O.O = 2.547 (2) A and O-H.O = 154 (3) degrees ]. 2,4-DMBA forms a typical hydrogen-bond dimer with a neighboring molecule.