Fast Pyrolysis of Cigarette and Cigar Leaves: Differential Analysis of Their Heavy Products by Ultrahigh-Resolution Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

Rationale

The cigars have characteristic flavors in smoke when compared with cigarettes, and cigars from various origins also have a difference in taste. However, little information can be found about the difference in chemical components of smokes between cigar and cigarette as well as between cigars, so it is interesting to compare their pyrolysis product distribution.

Methods

The cigarette and cigar leaves were pyrolyzed in a microfluidized-bed reactor, and the pyrolysis vapors were condensed and collected using cold traps. Mass spectrometric analysis of condensed liquids was performed utilizing electrospray ionization-orbitrap mass spectrometry in both positive and negative ion modes.

Results

The mass spectra of condensable pyrolysis products of three tobacco leaves were obtained by Orbitrap-MS in both positive and negative ESI modes. The DBE values (to carbon atom number) and the relative distribution (to nitrogen or oxygen atom number) of different products were carefully compared and discussed.

Conclusion

The main difference in pyrolysis products between cigarette and cigar leaves relates to N₁–N₂ class compounds in high-mass range as well as highly unsaturated nitrogenated compounds, while the one between two cigar leaves is associated with C_xH_yO_zN_5–9 and C_30-50H_yO_zN_w compounds. Besides, the oxygenated products that fall into the H/C > 2 and O/C < 1 ranges are also characteristic for Dominican cigar.