Chromatographic method for rapid determination of triazoles in ribavirin intermediates synthesis: stationary phase comparison

Triazoles serve as crucial intermediates in the production of ribavirin, a drug utilized for treating hepatitis C, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections, and viral hemorrhagic fevers. In this study, we developed a rapid and straightforward method employing high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection to determine triazoles used in these intermediates' synthesis. We compared several recently developed LC mixed-mode stationary phases with the classical C18 stationary phase. Using an Astra DM column with a multimodal stationary phase enabled rapid separation of all analytes within 3.2 min, surpassing the separation achieved with a C18 stationary phase. Our developed method demonstrated excellent linearity within a concentration range of 1 (2.5)–200 µg cm⁻³, with acceptable accuracy and precision levels within 1 and 5%, respectively. These results indicate that the optimized method is suitable for routine analysis of pertinent substances involved in the synthesis process, particularly when determining all ribavirin intermediates is necessary.

Graphical abstract