Abstract

Changes in the pharmaceutical L-adrenaline-D-hydrogentartrate, incorporated in KBr matrices, induced by a pulsed carbon-dioxide Transversely Excited Atmospheric (TEA) laser, were observed. Modifications of the sample were monitored via infrared spectra. Special attention was devoted to the dependence of the sample changes on the laser energy density used. The irradiation of the pharmaceutical has been performed with two laser lines at wavelengths of about 10.6 µm. The laser lines coincide well with the absorption band of the pharmaceutical, which is assigned to the ring vibrations/out-of-plane OH deformation vibrations, within the carboxyl (COOH) group of L-adrenaline-D-hydrogentartrate. Laser energy densities of 1.20 and 1.70 J/cm2 modified the pharmaceutical/compound. It was found that this modification is in essence a thermal effect. The level of change showed a dependence on the laser energy density, number of accumulated laser pulses and temporal shape of the pulse.