Identification, isolation and characterization of an unknown impurity of varenicline

An unknown impurity formed during stability sample analysis by a gradient reversed phase ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC) of varenicline tablets at 0.2% level. A simple isocratic preparative method was developed to isolate the unknown impurity with 20 min run time. This unknown impurity was identified and characterized by using spectroscopic techniques. Based on the spectral data, the unknown impurity has been characterized as 4,6,7,8,9,10-hexahydro-1H-6,10-methanopyrazino[2,3-h][3]benzazepine-2,3-dione. The structure of this impurity was also established unambiguously, prepared by isolation and co-injected into UHPLC to confirm the retention time. To the best of our knowledge, this impurity has not been reported elsewhere.