Degradation and epimerization kinetics of moxalactam in aqueous solution

The kinetics of epimerization and degradation of moxalactam in aqueous solution was investigated by HPLC. The pH-rate profiles of the degradation and epimerization were determined separately over the pH range of 1.0-11.5 at 37 degrees C and constant ionic strength 0.5. The degradation and simultaneous epimerization were followed by measuring both of the residual R- and S-epimers of moxalactam and were found to follow pseudo-first-order kinetics. The degradation was subjected to hydrogen ion and hydroxide ion catalyses and influenced by the dissociation of the side chain phenolic group. The epimerization rates were influenced significantly in the acidic region by the dissociation of the side chain carboxylic acid group and in the basic region by hydroxide ion catalysis. The pH-degradation rate profile of moxalactam showed a minimum degradation rate constant between pH 4.0 and 6.0. The pH-epimerization rate profiles of moxalactam showed minimum epimerization rate constants at pH 7.0. The epimerization rate constants of the R- and S-epimers were not very different.