Kinetics of drug decomposition. Part 66. Kinetics of the hydrolysis of carphecillin in aqueous solution.

The rates of hydrolysis of the beta-lactam ring in the pH range 1.77--9.22 at 294, 303, 313 and 233 K and of the ester bond in the pH range 0.43--8.78 at 273, 283, 294, 303, 313 and 323 K for carphecillin have been investigated. The rate constants were determined for the reactions catalyzed by H+ and OH- ions and moreover for the hydrolysis of the beta-lactam ring catalyzed by undissociated acids and anionic bases. The thermodynamic parameters were calculated for particular reactions. In the acidic medium carphecillin is significantly more stable than carbenicillin. In the alkaline medium the rate of inactivation of carphecillin and carbenicillin is the same because carbenicillin is formed from carphecillin as the result of the very fast hydrolysis of the ester bond.