Macrocyclic antibiotics as chiral selectors in the design of enantioselective, potentiometric membrane electrodes for the determination of l- and d-enantiomers of methotrexate

Three enantioselective, potentiometric membrane electrodes (EPMEs) based on macrocyclic glycopeptide antibiotics—vancomycin and teicoplanin (modified or not with acetonitrile)—were proposed for the determination of l- and d-enantiomers of methotrexate (Mtx). The linear concentration ranges for the proposed enantioselective membrane electrodes were between 10−6 and 10−3 mol l−1 for l- and d- methotrexate. The slopes of the electrodes were 58.00 mV/pl-Mtx for vancomycin-based electrode; 57.60 mV/pd-Mtx for teicoplanin-based electrode and 55.40 mV/pd-Mtx for teicoplanin modified with acetonitrile-based electrode. The detection limits of the proposed electrodes were of 10−8 mol l−1 magnitude order. The surfaces of the electrodes are stable and easily renewable by polishing on alumina paper. All proposed electrodes proved to be successful for the determination of the enantiopurity of Mtx as raw material and of its pharmaceutical formulations (tablets and injections).