Smartphone based colorimetric method for determination of memantine via schiff's base reaction with ascorbic acid

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Green Chemistry

Background:

• Smartphone-based colorimetric methods are emerging as powerful analytical tools.
• These methods offer fast, cost-effective, and eco-friendly measurements with low energy demand.
• Developing sustainable analytical techniques is crucial for pharmaceutical analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple, eco-friendly colorimetric method for determining memantine (MEM) in pharmaceutical dosage forms.
• To compare the performance and greenness of a smartphone-based method with a conventional spectrophotometric method.
• To evaluate the analytical performance and sustainability of both methods using the EPPI tool.

Main Methods:

• A colorimetric reaction between MEM and ascorbic acid produced a pink color.
• Smartphone camera captured color intensity, analyzed using ImageJ software.
• A conventional spectrophotometric method was established for comparison.
• The EPPI tool was used to assess the greenness, applicability, and analytical performance.

Main Results:

• Both methods showed excellent linearity (5.0-50.0 µg/mL).
• Smartphone method LOD: 0.45 µg/mL, LOQ: 1.36 µg/mL.
• Spectrophotometric method LOD: 0.0615 µg/mL, LOQ: 0.19 µg/mL.
• Smartphone method achieved a higher EPPI score (84.4) than the spectrophotometric method (82.4).

Conclusions:

• The smartphone-based colorimetric method is a superior, sustainable, and practical approach for memantine determination.
• This method offers a viable, eco-friendly alternative for pharmaceutical analysis.
• Digital analysis of color intensity using smartphones provides reliable quantitative results.