Gas chromatographic and mass spectrometric characterization of trimethylsilyl derivatives of some terpene alcohol phenylpropenoids.

This paper reports mass spectra and linear temperature programmed retention indices (I(T)) for 31 esters of mono- and sesquiterpene alcohols with hydroxycinnamic acids. In this study, 14 phenylpropenoids were synthesized by esterification of terpenols with p-coumaric, ferulic, caffeic and sinapinic acids. Other phenylpropenoids were semi-quantitatively isolated by column chromatography from exudates covering the buds of two birch species (Betula pubescens and B. litwinowii). Main diagnostic ions in phenylpropenoids mass spectra were determined by GC/MS analysis. The possibility of predicting I(T) values was demonstrated with standard error of prediction between 3 and 11 of retention index units.