Abstract

GREEN ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY APPROACHES IN PHARMACEUTICAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

Green Analytical Chemistry (GAC) is increasingly seen as an indispensable methodology in the analysis of pharmaceuticals and the environment, being the first choice of methods that are safe and economically viable to the environment without affecting accuracy or compliance with regulations. Here, we are offering a detailed discussion on the GAC principles and their significance in the pharmaceutical quality control. It points out the negative aspects of the classic analytical methods such as the large use of solvents, the dangerous chemicals involved, and the long processing times; thus, it is their turn to seek greener means. Among the main green techniques, the authors mention the preparation of samples in the micro-scale and without any solvent, the employment of green solvents like supercritical carbon dioxide, deep eutectic solvents, and the solvents derived from plants, plus the progress in the area of Ultra High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC), Supercritical Fluid Chromatography (SFC), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Near Infrared (NIR), and Raman spectroscopy. The contribution of microfluidics, automation, and the new generation portable analytical devices in the reduction of waste and the improvement of the efficiency is also included in the discussion. Moreover, the paper describes the eco-friendliness assessment tools which are most commonly used Analytical Eco-Scale, NEMI, GAPI, and AGREE—to check the environmental impact of the analytical processes. The practical examples show the successful GAC application in the pharmaceutical method development and validation.

Keywords: Green analytical chemistry, environmentally friendly, green solvents, green extraction techniques.