A DFT analysis of thermal decomposition reactions important to natural products

Abstract

The thermal decomposition reactions of several important natural flavor and fragrance chemicals have been investigated using density functional theory (DFT, B3LYP/6-31G*). Retro-aldol reactions of glucose, fructose, hernandulcin, epihernandulcin, [3]-gingerol, and [4]-isogingerol; retro-carbonyl-ene reactions of isopulegol, lavandulol, isolyratol, and indicumenone; and pyrolytic syn elimination reactions of linalyl acetate, α-terpinyl acetate, and bornyl acetate, have been carried out. The calculations indicate activation enthalpies of around 30 kcal/mol for the retro-aldol reactions and for retro-carbonyl-ene reactions, comparable to pericyclic reactions such as the Cope rearrangement and electrocyclic reactions, and therefore important reactions at elevated temperatures (e.g., boiling aqueous solutions, gas-chromatograph injection ports). Activation enthalpies for pyrolytic eliminations are around 40 kcal/mol and are unlikely to occur during extraction or GC analysis.