GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF TROPIC, BENZOIC AND CINNAMIC-ACIDS, BIOSYNTHETIC TROPANE ALKALOID PRECURSORS

A capillary gas chromatographic (GC) method was developed for the determination of tropic. benzoic and cinnamic acids, which are established precursors of many important naturally occurring tropane alkaloids. The acids were derivatized (esterifield) by extractive alkylation with pentafluorobenzyl bromide with catalysis by tetrabutylammonium ions. With mandelic acid as internal standard, a direct GC analysis of the methylene chloride extract provides a simple and reliable assay which is applicable to complex sample matrices.