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Abstract
The influence of pH on the stability of cefozopran hydrochloride (CZH) was investigated in the pH range of 0.44–13.00. Six degradation products were identified with a hybrid ESI-Q-TOF mass spectrometer. The degradation of CZH as a result of hydrolysis was a pseudo-first-order reaction. As general acid–base hydrolysis of CZH was not occurred in the solutions of hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide, acetate, borate and phosphate buffers, kobs = kpH because specific acid–base catalysis was observed. Specific acid–base catalysis of CZH consisted of the following reactions: hydrolysis of CZH catalyzed by hydrogen ions (kH+), hydrolysis of dications (k1H2O), monocations (k2H2O) and zwitter ions (k3H2O) and hydrolysis of zwitter ions (k1OH−) and monoanions (k2OH−) of CZH catalyzed by hydroxide ions. The total rate of the reaction was equal to the sum of partial reactions: . CZH similarly like other fourth generation cephalosporin was most stable at slightly acidic and neutral pH and less stable in alkaline pH. The cleavage of the β-lactam ring resulting from a nucleophilic attack on the carbonyl carbon in the β-lactam moiety is the preferred degradation pathway of β-lactam antibiotics in aqueous solutions.
Declaration of interest
The project was funded by the National Science Centre (Poland) based on the decision number DEC-2013/09/N/NZ7/01479.
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.