Thermal Migration and Release of 16 Characteristic Flavor Compounds in Tobaccos Analyzed by GC-MS and GC-MS/MS

This study advances the understanding of flavor compound migration and release in heat-not-burn (HNB) cigarettes by systematically comparing the effects of central and circumferential heating on release kinetics. It reveals the coupling relationship between spatial heat transfer modes and release mechanisms. GC-MS and GC-MS/MS were used for compound identification and quantification. GC-MS employed a DB-5MS column in full-scan mode. GC-MS/MS also used a DB-5MS column with MRM mode. A total of 16 key aromatic components from eight categories (acids, ketones, esters, phenols, alcohols, aldehydes, heterocyclics, and lactones) were analyzed. The results showed consistent high release levels for valeric acid, 3-methylvaleric acid, and linalool. Central heating led to peak releases around 350°C, while circumferential heating showed a release trend peaking at 250°C. Kinetic analysis revealed different models, and activation energy analysis indicated varying release difficulties between the heating methods. The release mechanisms of different aromatic raw compounds were jointly analyzed using zero-order, pseudo-first-order, and pseudo-second-order models. Under central heating, acids/aldehydes followed the zero-order model, while under circumferential heating, ketones/esters/phenols were more suited to the zero-order model.