Jc. Del Rio et Pg. Hatcher, Analysis of aliphatic biopolymers using thermochemolysis with tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry, ORG GEOCHEM, 29(5-7), 1998, pp. 1441-1451
Selected aliphatic biopolyesters (cutins, cuticles and a suberin) isolated
from different plants have been analyzed using thermochemolysis with tetram
ethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH). This method consists of a high-temperature
saponification/transesterification, and yields methyl esters of fatty acids
and the methyl ethers of alcohols, which are subsequently analyzed by gas
chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The main compounds
produced from the analyzed samples correspond to the methyl derivatives of
long-chain fatty acids, hydroxy fatty acids and alpha,omega-alkanedioic ac
ids. The composition of the released compounds are similar to those reporte
d in the literature using different depolymerization methods. The main adva
ntage of the procedure is that it is easily performed in glass tubes with v
ery low amounts of sample and without additional derivatization steps prior
to gas chromatographic analysis because the products are methylated in sit
u. The method also avoids the laborious and time consuming sample preparati
on of extractive methods and the use of large amounts of solvents. (C) 1998
Elsevier Science Ltd, All rights reserved.