Low Boiling-point Compounds Produced by Pyrol Ysis of Fungal Melanins and Model Phenolic Polymers

Pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used lo characterize fungal melanins and model phenolic polymers. Snmples wcre pyrolysed at 700"C for 10 s and the low boiling-point compounds were separated on a Chromosorb 102 column. Low boiling-point compounds ídentified with a mass spectrometer coupled lo the gas chromatograph were ver)' similar for peplone, a modcl autoxidative phenolic polymer incorporatíng peptone. and sorne fungal melanins. The major low boíling-point components from fungal meJanins were related lo proleins and to polysaccharides. A nitrogenfree phenolic polymer yielded ver)' small amounts of low boiting-point pyrolysis fragments. The compounds identífied appeared 10 be derivcd largely from the pcptide. carbohydrate. and possibly smal! amounts of othcr aliphatic materials in the polymer structures.