<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>A rapid pyrolysis technique, combined with gas chromatographic separation and interpretation of mass spectra obtained from the resulting pyrolysispyrosynthesis products, has been used in the study of three different compounds present in processed tobacco: n-C<sub>25</sub> alkane, neophytadiene and phytol. The compounds are representative for a homologous series of n-alkanes and for a series of branched-chain compounds including neophytadiene, phytol, solanesol and esters of solanesol (tobacco constituents). At temperatures below 600°C the pyrolysis in the absence of oxygen, but in a helium flow gives only slight aromatisation when n-alkanes are treated. For the isoprenoid compounds neophytadiene and phytol aromatisation starts between 500 and 600°C. The products formed tend to develop more-condensed ring structures at increasing temperature, although benzene and toluene are dominating even at temperatures as high as 800 to 900°C. Aromatisation leading to relatively less methyl substitution results with increasing temperature. Previous pyrolysis work and recent interpretations point to the formation of structures such as acenaphthylene, acenaphthene, cyclopenta[cd]pyrene, 3,4-dihydrocyclopenta[cd]pyrene and probably similar structures derived from three and four-membered condensed ring structures produced.</p></abstract>

A rapid pyrolysis technique, combined with gas chromatographic separation and interpretation of mass spectra obtained from the resulting pyrolysispyrosynthesis products, has been used in the study of three different compounds present in processed tobacco: n-C25 alkane, neophytadiene and phytol. The compounds are representative for a homologous series of n-alkanes and for a series of branched-chain compounds including neophytadiene, phytol, solanesol and esters of solanesol (tobacco constituents). At temperatures below 600°C the pyrolysis in the absence of oxygen, but in a helium flow gives only slight aromatisation when n-alkanes are treated. For the isoprenoid compounds neophytadiene and phytol aromatisation starts between 500 and 600°C. The products formed tend to develop more-condensed ring structures at increasing temperature, although benzene and toluene are dominating even at temperatures as high as 800 to 900°C. Aromatisation leading to relatively less methyl substitution results with increasing temperature. Previous pyrolysis work and recent interpretations point to the formation of structures such as acenaphthylene, acenaphthene, cyclopenta[cd]pyrene, 3,4-dihydrocyclopenta[cd]pyrene and probably similar structures derived from three and four-membered condensed ring structures produced.

Pyrolytic Disintegration of Selected Tobacco Constituents and Pyrosynthetic Formation of Aromatic Hydrocarbons from Cleavage Products Formed by Pyrolysis

Department of Organic Chemistry, Chemical Institute, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark

Contributions to Tobacco & Nicotine Research

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

A rapid pyrolysis technique, combined with gas chromatographic separation and interpretation of mass spectra obtained from the resulting pyrolysispyrosynthesis...

Pyrolytic Disintegration of Selected Tobacco Constituents and Pyrosynthetic Formation of Aromatic Hydrocarbons from Cleavage Products Formed by Pyrolysis

Published Online: Jan 06, 2015

Page range: 1 - 9

Received: Mar 23, 1984

Accepted: Oct 16, 1984

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/cttr-2013-0550

© 1985 Beiträge zur Tabakforschung International

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.