THERMODEGRADATION KINETICS OF THE NEW ANTIBACTERIAL FLUOROQUINOLONE DERIVATIVE, SPARFLOXACIN, IN AQUEOUS-SOLUTION

The degradation kinetics of sparfloxacin -di-fluoro-1,4-dihydro-4-oxoq uinoline-3-carboxylic acid) were examined as functions of pH (1.0-10.5 ), temperature (100-120 degrees C) and buffer concentration (0.01-0.05 M). The degradation kinetics for sparfloxacin in aqueous solution foll owed a pseudo-first-order reaction under ail experimental conditions, No appreciable effect of buffer species on the degradation of sparflox acin was observed within the experimental conditions, The logk-pH prof iles showed specific-acid catalysis at a pH below 4.0, and there were inflection points near pH 6 and 9 corresponding to the pK(a1) and pK(a 2) values, Arrhenius data in this study showed that the degradation of sparfloxacin was negligible at room temperature between pH 1.0-10.5.