Nicotine

Nicotine: pyridine alkaloid.

Nicotine testing at Vanguard Laboratory: identity, purity and quantity $250 per sample, with results in 3 to 5 business days.

Structure

Nicotine: 2D structure drawn from the PubChem record (CID 89594).

Compound data

CAS number

54-11-5

Formula

C₁₀H₁₄N₂

Molecular weight

162.24 g/mol

Type

Pyridine alkaloid

Structure and names

Identity: Nicotine

IUPAC name: 3-[(2S)-1-methylpyrrolidin-2-yl]pyridine

How Vanguard tests Nicotine

Method for the $250 identity, purity and quantity test: HPLC-UV purity and assay, LC-MS identity, against a reference standard, with results in 3 to 5 business days.

The USP monograph covers identity by infrared spectroscopy and HPLC retention time, assay by HPLC, organic impurities by HPLC, plus optical rotation and water content. Full testing to the USP Nicotine monograph is available and quoted.

What's reported

Purity, as percent of total peak area
Quantity, against the label claim
Identity, reported as match or no match against the reference standard
With monograph testing (quoted): the monograph’s tests against its limits

Tests and prices

Purity and quantity

$250

Chromatographic purity and mg per unit by the method matched to the compound, identity against a reference standard. 1 unit.

Raw powder purity

$200

Chromatographic purity on bulk powder. 50 mg.

Add-on tests

Add-on test	Price
Identity and impurities
FTIR identity	$90
CHNS elemental analysis (carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur)	$125
Chiral purity (where a chiral method exists; new methods quoted)	$250
Water, solvents and salt form
Water content by Karl Fischer	$60
Residual solvents	$150
Counterions: chloride, acetate and TFA	$70
Assay
Assay, % w/w (with raw powder purity; $250 together)	+$50
Metals and conformity
Heavy metals: arsenic, cadmium, chromium, mercury and lead	$150
Conformity: purity and quantity on more units from the same lot	$100 per extra unit
Microbiology (injectables)
Endotoxin	$210
Sterility or bioburden	$150
Container closure integrity (CCI)	$50
Screening
Fentanyl screen	$50

10% off for 10 or more samples.

Need something else? Other tests are available on request.

Sample amount and turnaround

Purity and quantity is $250 per sample (1 unit) and raw powder purity is $200 for 50 mg, with results in 3 to 5 business days. Send the material sealed and labeled, with the label claim and the form it contains.

Salts, forms and compendial references

Nicotine (CAS 54-11-5)
Nicotine Polacrilex (CAS 96055-45-7)
Tell us the salt or form the label states, so quantity is reported on the same basis.

Questions about Nicotine testing

Is the $250 test the same as USP monograph testing?

No. The $250 test covers identity, purity and quantity by HPLC-UV for purity and assay and LC-MS for identity. Full testing to the USP Nicotine monograph is available and quoted.

What is nicotine polacrilex?

It is nicotine bound to an ion-exchange resin, used in gum and lozenges. For testing, the nicotine is released from the resin before HPLC, and the result is reported as nicotine content.

Does nicotine degrade in storage?

Nicotine darkens and oxidizes on exposure to air and light, forming products such as cotinine and nicotine N-oxides that show up as impurity peaks. Keep samples tightly closed and protected from light.

Can e-liquids or pouches be tested?

Yes. Nicotine is extracted from the liquid or pouch material and quantified against a nicotine reference standard, with the result reported per gram or per milliliter.

Sources

https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/89594

Identity facts from the USP monograph header for this compound.

Order

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