Pyrolysis—gas chromatography of natural and synthetic melanins

Abstract

Curie-point pyrolysis—gas chromatography—mass spectrometry was used for the characterization of melanins from black human hair, bovine eyes and model polymers derived from tyrosine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine and 3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamine. The major pyrolysis products identified as aromatic hydrocarbons, phenols, catechols, pyrroles and indoles were obtained from all of the polymers studied. The mechanisms of formation of the products in relation to the structure of melanine are discussed and observed variations in the amounts of breakdown products are use for differentiation of polymers by the use of the two discriminant functions method.