Thermoanalytical studies of a cytotoxic derivative of carbamazepine: iminostilbene

Iminostilbene is an organic compound, being a precursor of some active pharmaceutical ingredients including well-known anti-epileptic drug carbamazepine as well as substance exhibiting toxic properties and posing threat to natural environment itself. Although its derivatives are commonly studied, there is a lack of thorough investigation of that compound itself, especially concerning its properties at temperatures close to the melting point. Herein, thermodynamic and structural properties of iminostilbene as well as its vibrational and dynamic properties were studied using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). DSC measurements suggests that in the vicinity of melting point, some enantiotropic transition takes place. TGA measurements reveal that strong sublimation of examined substance is observed at temperatures even tens of degrees lower than melting point. Finally, all measurements indicate that the applied heat treatment induces an irreversible phase transition in the studied sample.