title: Phenols from pyrolysis and co-pyrolysis of tobacco biomass components.
abstract: Phenol and its derivatives (phenol, o-, m-, p-cresols, catechol, hydroquinone, methoxy substituted phenols, etc. referred to as phenolic compounds or phenols) are well-known toxicants that exist in the environment and affect both human and natural ecosystems. This study explores quantitatively the yields of phenolic compounds from the thermal degradation (pyrolysis and oxidative pyrolysis) of common tobacco biomass components (lignin, tyrosine, ethyl cellulose, sodium alginate, and laminarin) as well as some mixtures (lignin/tyrosine, ethyl cellulose/tyrosine and sodium alginate/tyrosine) considered important in high temperature cooking, tobacco smoking, and forest fires. Special attention has been given to binary mixtures including those containing tyrosine-pyrolysis of binary mixtures of tyrosine with lignin and ethyl cellulose results in significant reductions in the yields of majority phenols relative to those from the thermal degradation of tyrosine. These results imply that the significant reductions of phenol yields in mixtures are not only dependent upon the mass fractions of the components but also the synergetic inhibition effect of biomass components on the thermal degradation of tyrosine. A mechanistic description of this phenomenon is suggested. The results may also be implied in tobacco industry that the cigarette paper (as ethyl cellulose derivative) may play a critical role in reducing the concentration of phenolic compounds released during tobacco burning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Egerton University, P.O. Box 536, Egerton, Kenya.
authors.forename: Joshua K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kibet
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA. Electronic address: lkhach1@lsu.edu.
authors.forename: Lavrent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Khachatryan
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dellinger
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D002482:Cellulose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D017745:Incineration; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis*; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry*; D014026:Nicotiana
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D010636:Phenols; D014443:Tyrosine; C013517:ethyl cellulose; D002482:Cellulose; C051772:ethyl tyrosine ester
keywords: Ethyl cellulose; Fractional pyrolysis/oxidative pyrolysis; Inhibition; Lignin; Tyrosine