Packed-column supercritical fluid chromatography for the analysis of isosorbide-5-mononitrate and related compounds...

We describe a packed-column supercritical fluid chromatographic method that can be used for the analysis of isosorbide-5-mononitrate (5-ISMN) bulk substance and the 5-ISMN content of Imdur tablets. The method is based on methanol-modified carbon dioxide as the mobile phase and porous graphitized carbon (PGC, Hypercarb) as column support at 40 degrees C and 100 bar back pressure. The method makes it possible to simultaneously determine 5-ISMN and related compounds. In order to elute NO(3)(-) with acceptable retention time a quarternary ammonium hydrogen sulfate salt is added to the methanol modifier. An almost linear increase of the retention time with increasing carbon content of the counter ion was found. Tetramethyl ammonium hydrogen sulfate 5 mM in methanol was used in the final method as polar modifier for the simultaneous determination of possible degradation products within 12 min. The present method can separate and detect related compounds such as isosorbide-2, 5-dinitrate, isomannidemononitrate and isosorbide-2-mononitrate at the 0.1% (w/w) level as required by regulatory guidelines. Nitrate can be detected down to about 0.02% (w/w). Repeated analyses of ground tablet powder gave an assay precision for isosorbide-5-mononitrate of 1.4% (R.S.D., eight samples and two injections of each). For related substances at an area percent of 0. 1 the precision was less than 10%.