Analysis of Ibuprofen and Valerophenone by LC/UV Using a Core Enhanced Technology Accucore HPLC Column

Significance of the Topic

Understanding pharmaceutical purity is essential in ensuring drug safety and efficacy. High-performance liquid chromatography methods that comply with official standards are critical for quality control in drug manufacturing.

Objectives and Overview

This study demonstrates the use of a Thermo Scientific Accucore C18 column employing Core Enhanced Technology for the simultaneous separation of ibuprofen and valerophenone in accordance with the USP monograph requirements.

Methodology

Sample preparation involved weighing USP-grade ibuprofen and valerophenone and diluting them to a final concentration of 500 µg/mL in the mobile phase. Chromatographic conditions were optimized to achieve baseline resolution while maintaining low system backpressure.

Used Instrumentation

• Column: Accucore C18, 100 × 4.6 mm, 2.6 µm Core Enhanced particles
• HPLC System: Thermo Scientific with UV detector and 15 µL, 10 mm flow cell
• Software: Thermo Scientific ChromQuest 5.0
• Mobile Phase: 66.3:33.7 water (pH 2.5 with phosphoric acid) / acetonitrile
• Flow Rate: 2.0 mL/min; Column Temperature: 30 °C; Detection Wavelength: 214 nm

Main Results and Discussion

Under the specified conditions, valerophenone eluted at 14.1 minutes and ibuprofen at 18.4 minutes. The measured resolution between the two peaks averaged 7.12, well above the USP criterion of 2.0. Retention time precision (%RSD) was below 0.3% for both analytes, demonstrating excellent reproducibility over six injections.

Benefits and Practical Applications

Accucore C18 columns deliver high chromatographic efficiency with reduced backpressure, enabling faster run times without sacrificing separation quality. The method is ideally suited for routine pharmaceutical quality assurance and control laboratories.

Future Trends and Opportunities

Future developments may focus on integrating Core Enhanced Technology with mass spectrometry to improve sensitivity and selectivity, adopting greener solvents to reduce environmental impact, and extending the approach to complex biologics and multi-component pharmaceutical formulations.

Conclusion

The Accucore C18 column using Core Enhanced Technology offers a robust, reproducible, and USP-compliant solution for the analysis of ibuprofen and valerophenone, streamlining pharmaceutical testing workflows.

Reference

• USP-32, Ibuprofen, Chromatographic purity.