General Description
Odorless white crystalline powder. Slightly bitter taste. pH (0.5% aqueous solution) 5 to 7.5.
Reactivity Profile
PENICILLIN VK+(132-98-9) is the potassium salt of penicillin v. This compound is incompatible with acids, oxidizing agents (especially in the presence of trace metals), heavy metal ions such as copper, lead, zinc and mercury; glycerol, sympathomimetic amines, thiomersal, wood alcohols, cetostearyl alcohol, hard paraffins, macrogols, cocoa butter and many ionic an nonionic surface-active agents. PENICILLIN VK+(132-98-9) is also incompatible with alkalis, compounds leached from vulcanized rubber, hydrochlorides of tetracyclines and organic peroxides. Other incompatibilities include reducing agents, alcohols, other hydroxy compounds, self-emulsifying stearyl alcohol, emulsifying wax, lanolin, crude cholinesterated bases, glycol, sugars, amines, aminacrine hydrochloride, ephedrine, procaine, rubber tubing, thiamine hydrochloride, zinc oxide, oxidized cellulose, iodine, iodides, thiols, chlorocresol and resorcinol. PENICILLIN VK+(132-98-9) may also be incompatible with naphthalene oils and vitamin B.
Air & Water Reactions
Water soluble.
Fire Hazard
Flash point data for this chemical are not available; however, PENICILLIN VK+ is probably combustible.
Chemical Properties
Crystalline Solid
Originator
Oracilline ,Theraplix ,France ,1954
Uses
Penicillin antibacterial.
Definition
ChEBI: Phenoxymethylpenicillin potassium is an organic potassium salt. It contains a phenoxymethylpenicillin(1-).
Manufacturing Process
The following description is taken from US Patent 2,941,995. A solution of phenoxyacetyl chloride (360 mg) in dry acetone (5 ml) was added dropwise during 10 minutes to a stirred solution of 6-aminopenicillanic acid (450 mg, approximately 75% pure) in 3% aqueous bicarbonate (18 ml), and acetone (12 ml). When addition was complete the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes and then extracted with ether (30 ml in 3 portions), only the aqueous phase being retained. This aqueous solution was covered with butanol (5 ml) and adjusted to pH 2 by the addition of N hydrochloric acid. After separating the layers, the aqueous phase was extracted with two 2.5 ml portions of butanol, adjusting to pH 2 each time. The combined butanol solutions (which at this stage contained the free penicillanic acid) were washed with water (3 x 2 ml) and then shaken with water (10 ml) to which sufficient 3% sodium bicarbonate solution was added to bring the aqueous phase to pH 7. The butanol solution was further extracted with two 5 ml portions of water to each of which was added enough bicarbonate solution to produce an aqueous phase of pH 7. The combined aqueous solutions were washed with ether (20 ml) and then evaporated at low temperature and pressure to leave the crude sodium salt of phenoxymethyl penicillin which, after drying in a vacuum desiccator, was obtained as a slightly hygroscopic powder (591 mg).
Brand name
V-Cillin(Lilly).
Therapeutic Function
Antibacterial
Safety Profile
Moderately toxic by ingestion, intramuscular, intraperitoneal, and intravenous routes. Human mutation data reported. Questionable carcinogen with no experimental evidence. When heated to decomposition it emits very toxic fumes of NOx, K2O, and SOx. Used
