Details are given of the ultraviolet, optical rotatory dispersion and fluorescence spectra of oxoformycin. The pK of formation of the monoanion is 8.6, at 25 degrees C. As formycin B has the same pK value, the ionization of both compounds is ascribed to dissociation of a proton from N-1. Both the neutral and monoanionic forms of oxoformycin are strongly fluorescent.

The pharmacopoeias generally apply the determination of the specific optical rotation for the characterisation of the optical purity of drugs administered as the pure enantiomer. The measurements are prescribed at D-line of sodium (589.3 nm) or rarely at some wavelenghts in the visible region of the mercury lamp (365,405,436, 546, 578 nm) and the value of the specific optical rotation should fa...

In the sample compartment of a conventional spectrophotometer, mounting of a polarizer before sample and an analyzer behind sample allows the determination of the optical rotatory dispersion of optical active media by measurement of the transmission ratio of crossed and parallel arranged polarizer and analyzer. A formula for the determination of the angle of rotation is derived from the transmi...