Recycling of expired paracetamol-containing drugs as source of useful reagents for an organic synthesis

ABSTRACT

All types of pharmaceutical waste negatively impact on the environment and human health and require specialmethods of utilization. In the current study, it is described that the elaboration of utilization methods of one of the mostcommonly used medicines as paracetamol of various brands and forms on the example of expired and substandarddrugs based on acid hydrolysis providing 4-aminophenol with 16%–87% yields. The actuality of obtaining the4-aminophenol derivatives revealed by their findings in the structure of many biologically active compounds withanticancer, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cardiovascular activities. In addition, it has been demonstrated that thechemical transformation of paracetamol in capsule and tablet dosage forms providing N-[4-(benzyloxy)phenyl]acetamide as a useful reagent in an organic synthesis in the reaction with benzyl chloride in an alkaline medium. Thestructures of obtained products and purity were established on the basis of mass spectrometry (LCMS+) techniques.As a result, the simple procedure from moderate to good yield is an important feature of paracetamol-containing drugutilization as a source of different useful reagents for an organic synthesis and industrial production.