Fast high performance liquid chromatography method for in-process control of sulbactam Original Research Article

A fast high performance liquid chromatographic assay coupled with UV detection (230 nm) has been developed for simultaneous determination of sulbactam and its synthesis precursors. The analytes are separated in 2.5 min using a TSK Gel Super ODS column (50 mm×4.6 mm i.d., 2 μm) at 40 °C. The mobile phase (A: 5 mM tetrabutyl ammonium hydroxide and 15 mM potassium chloride adjusted to pH 6.0 with phosphoric acid and B: acetonitrile) was pumped at a flow rate of 1.5 ml min−1 according to the gradient mode: 0 min, 15% B; 0–1.4 min, 30% B; 1.4–1.8 min, 40% B. The method was validated and good accuracy, reproducibility (<4.7%) and linearity in the range 50–200 mg l−1 were observed for all compounds. This method is sensitive (limits of detection ranged between 0.3 and 1.5 mg l−1) and selective for the determination of sulbactam and could be used for in-process control.