4-nitrophenyl phosphate--characterization of high-purity materials for measuring alkaline phosphatase activity in human serum.

We studied 53 lots of 4-nitrophenyl phosphate (I), obtained from 20 different commercial suppliers, and used this information to set specifications for it. Using these well-defined specifications, we classified 21 lots of I as "unacceptable," 26 lots as "borderline," and six as "acceptable." All lots were shown to contain some 4-nitrophenol and inorganic phosphate. However, "acceptable" I had < 0.3 mmol of 4-nitrophenol and < 10 mmol of inorganic phosphate per mole of I. The mole concentration of I (based on disodium hexahydrate, formula weight 371) was determined by enzymic conversion to 4-nitrophenol in five lots of "acceptable" materials. The mole fraction of I ranged from 0.982 to 0.998. From these measurements and from estimates of impurities that absorb at 311 nm, as determined by liquid chromatography and spectrophotometry at other wavelengths, our best estimate of the molar absorptivity of I at 311 nm in 10 mmol/L NaOH at 25 degrees C was 9867 L x mol-1 x cm-1, with a total uncertainty of 76 L x mol-1 x cm-1. We recommend that I used in clinical laboratories for measurement of alkaline phosphatase activity in serum meet the specifications given in this paper: I content > 98%, maximum activity > 98% in comparative testing with other "acceptable" lots of I, and impurities not to exceed the values cited above.