Determination of benzalkonium chloride preservative in pharmaceutical formulation of eye and ear drops using new potentiometric sensors

A novel approach for determination of low concentrations of the preservative, benzalkonium chloride (BCCl), in pharmaceutical formulation constitutes is presented. New chemically modified carbon paste electrodes (CMCPEs) are developed. The first is based on an ion-association of BCCl with phosphomolybdic acid (PMA) as the ion-exchanger (BC–PM) dissolved in the mixed plasticizers dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and dioctyl sebacate (DOS) encoded sensor A. In the other electrode, encoded sensor B, the plasticizers DBP and dioctyl phthalate (DOP) are more suitable solvent mediators for the paste. These electrodes exhibit a Nernstian slope of 58.2 ± 0.6 and 62.3 ± 0.7 mV/decade in concentration range 1.3 × 10− 7–1.7 × 10− 4 M and 2.5 × 10− 7–1.7 × 10− 4 M with the limit of detection of 1.0 × 10− 7 M and 1.6 × 10− 7 for sensors A and B, respectively. The sensors have short and stable response time 5–8 s, good reproducibility and can be used in pH range of 5.7–8.6. The present electrodes show good discrimination of BCCl from several inorganic, organic ions and some common drug excipients. These characteristics of the electrodes make them useful in successful determination of BCCl in its pharmaceutical preparations (eye and ear drops) and aqueous solutions. The results obtained were satisfactory with excellent percentage recovery comparable and sometimes better than those obtained by other routine methods for the assay.