Identification and synthesis of potential impurities of rabeprazole sodium

Rabeprazole sodium (1, Achiphex) is a gastric proton pump inhibitor. It causes dose-dependent inhibition of acid secretion and is useful as an anti-ulcer agent. In the process for the preparation of 1, two potential unknown impurities were identified in HPLC at levels ranging from 0.05-0.8%. Based on mass spectral data vide LC-MS, the two impurities were characterized as 2-{[(4-chloro-3-methyl-2-pyridinyl) methyl] sulfinyl}-1H-bezimidazole (2, chloro analogue of rabeprazole) and 2-[{(4-methoxy-3-methyl-2-pyridinyl)methyl}sulfinyl]-1H-benzimidazole (3, methoxy analogue of rabeprazole). The structures were unambiguously established by independently synthesizing them and co-injecting in HPLC. To our knowledge, the compounds 2 and 3 have not been reported as process impurities elsewhere.