What molecule am I?
November is flavor and aroma month at MOTW!
2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline (2AP) is a ketone derivative of the heterocyclic compound 1-pyrroline. The hazard information table shows that the pure compound has some dangerous properties, but you probably know it from its pleasing aroma.
In 1982, Ron G. Buttery and Louisa C. Ling at the US Department of Agriculture (Albany, CA) and Bienvenido Juliano at the International Rice Research Institute (Los Ba帽os, Philippines) identified 2AP as an important aroma component of cooked rice. It is present in the volatile oils of basmati and Calrose rice. The researchers also synthesized 2AP via the catalytic reduction of 2-acetylpyrrole, followed by oxidation with silver carbonate.
The following year, the same authors identified 2AP in the leaves of the tropical plant pandan (Pandanus amaryllifolius). The leaves are used as a flavoring agent in south and southeast Asia.
Later in the 1980s, chemists began to identify 2AP in the aroma of baking bread. In 1985, Peter Schieberle and Werner Grosch at what is now the Technical University of Munich (Garching, West Germany) reported that the compound, in addition to other flavor and aroma ingredients, is present in the crusts of wheat and rye breads. 2AP is formed by the Maillard reaction that is characteristic of baking bread, in which amino acids and reducing sugars react to form the components of the crust鈥檚 brown color.
Curiously, on a less appealing note, 2AP also contributes to the urine odor of several Asian mammals, including the bintarong (Arctictis binturong; aka the bearcat) and three subspecies of tiger (Panthera tigris).
2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline聽hazard information
| Hazard class* | GHS code and hazard statement | |
|---|---|---|
| Flammable liquids, category 2 | H225鈥擧ighly flammable liquid and vapor |  |
| Aspiration toxicity, category 1 | H304鈥擬ay be fatal if swallowed and enters airways |  |
| Skin corrosion/irritation, category 2 | H315鈥擟auses skin irritation |  |
| Acute toxicity, inhalation, category 4 | H332鈥擧armful if inhaled | |
| Reproductive toxicity, category 2 | H361鈥擲uspected of damaging fertility or the unborn child | |
| Specific target organ toxicity, repeated exposure, category 2 | H373鈥擬ay cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure | |
*Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals.聽
Molecule of the future
Polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate1 (PBAT) is a copolymer that consists of two units: the 1,4-butanediol monoester of terephthalic acid and the 1,4-butanediol monoester of adipic acid (hexanedioic acid). The two units are dispersed randomly throughout the length of the copolymer.
PBAT has gained much traction recently because it is a potential . Even though all of its components are petrochemicals, the copolymer鈥檚 ester linkages give it decomposition properties similar to those of two other developmental biodegradable polymers, poly(lactic acid) and poly(hydroxyalkanoate).
The physical properties of PBAT are comparable with those of low-density polyethylene, which is used to make stretchable films for food-packaging bags, trash bags, and the like. Corporations worldwide are moving rapidly to increase production of PBAT.
1. CAS Reg. No. 60961-73-1.
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2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline
fast facts
| CAS Reg. No. | 85213-22-5 |
nomenclature | Ethanone, 1-(3,4-dihydro-2H-pyrrol-5-yl)- |
| Empirical formula | C6H9NO |
| Molar mass | 111.14 g/mol |
| Appearance | Colorless to yellow solid or liquid |
| Melting point | 19掳 C |
| Boiling point | 183掳 C |
| Water solubility | Soluble |
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