Spectrophotometric determination of diphenhydramine hydrochloride using dipicrylamine

A spectrophotometric procedure for the determination of diphenhydramine hydrochloride based on the reaction with dipicrylamine was developed. A yellow complex forms and is easily extractable by chloroform at pH 5. The mole ratio of diphenydramine hydrochloride to dipicrylamine in the complex is 1:3. The absorbance of the complex obeys Beer's law over the concentration range of 3-10 mug of diphenhydramine hydrochloride per ml of chloroform. This procedure can be carried out in the presence of other compounds without interference.