Use of a Field-Portable XRF Instrument To Facilitate Metal Catalyst Scavenger Screening

The analysis of elemental impurities in pharmaceuticals has traditionally been performed using plasma-based instrumental techniques, such as inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy or inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, due to their inherent sensitivity, selectivity, and precision; however, during development activities, there are a variety of sample types that do not require the sensitivity that these expensive and time-consuming techniques provide. Pharmaceutical process chemists often need a rapid and relative determination of the elemental content to direct them in optimizing the effectiveness or efficiency of their synthetic process. This article will provide the application of a field-portable X-ray fluorescence instrument as a hands-on screening tool for chemists to determine the effectiveness of metal catalyst scavenger studies. Three case studies will be provided to illustrate the usefulness of the technique.