The pyrolysis behaviour of podophyllotoxin and a series of related com
pounds including epiisopodophyllotoxin, 4'-demethylepipodophyllotoxin,
deoxyisopodophyllotoxin and hypophyllanthin is reported. The compound
s differ markedly in their behaviour, some such as podophyllotoxin its
elf giving only low intensity peaks due to pyrolysis products, others
such as 4'-demethylepipodophyllotoxin giving several abundant and char
acteristic pyrolysis products.