Carboplatin-degradation products formed under deliberated and non-deliberated laboratory experiments: Structural elucidation

Carboplatin (CPT) is of undisputed relevance to cancer therapy. The formation of CPT degradation products (DPs) was studied in various aqueous solutions containing 100 μg/mL CPT. Three phosphate buffer solutions, at pH 4, pH 6, and pH 8, and three other solutions with the addition of NaCl, ammonia, and humic acids, were examined in deliberated and non-deliberated laboratory experiments. Nine CPT DPs were identified by their MS and UV spectra. Six (CPT1, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9) were produced following exposure to solar irradiation, and mainly obtained from (CPT4) in the presence of the appropriate nucleophiles. Calculation of the first-order kinetics processes of CPT degradation enabled understanding the reaction mechanism for CPT4 formation through the intermediate product [CPT-NH₃]⁺. The detection and quantification of DPs of other investigated drugs is recommended as an integral part of any study, method, or technique dealing with pharmaceutical residues in aquatic environments.