British Pharmaceutical Conference Blackpool, 1949

Abstract

Summary A method has been described for the determination of the α-isomer of glycerophosphoric acid. The preparation and properties of pure crystalline α- and β-sodium glycerophosphate have been described. The isolation of “an impurity,” occurring from a side reaction in the primary combination and which seems to approximate to a diester, is reported. Two types of α-calcium glycerophosphate have been prepared: a dihydrate which is unstable in water and a monohydrate which is stable. The properties of the two hydrates of the calcium salt have been investigated and differences in their physical behaviour are reported. The preparation and properties of β-calcium glycerophosphate have been described. Commercial samples of calcium glycerophosphate have been examined and their departure from official standards noted. Suggestions for the official monographs have been made. Special thanks from the authors are due to Dr. D. E. Palin, of Imperial Chemical Industries, Limited, Research Department, Widnes, for his interest in the crystal structure and for discussion of the X-ray diffraction data which he supplied. We also wish to acknowledge the enthusiastic help of our technician, Mr. W. Rone, whose work made much of this paper possible, and we thank the Directors of Evans Medical Supplies, Limited, for permission to publish our work.