Two-Phase Electrocoagulation with Organic Medium and Electrolyte System for Volatile Compound Profile Identification in Commercialized Perfume ^†

An Electrocoagulation (EC) approach was developed utilizing two aluminum electrodes and a two-phase medium consisting of an aqueous solution of electrolyte and hexane (referred to as two-phase-EC). This method facilitated the electrochemical treatment of odor-active compounds present in commercialized perfume extracts. The samples, both before and after two-phase-EC treatment between the two electrodes, after the reaction was left for equilibrium as post-treatment, were analyzed using headspace-solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with multipurpose auto sampler, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). This analytical approach allowed for the identification of volatile compound profiles in each sample by comparing them with mass spectra and the retention index of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) library database.

The post-treatment of the perfumes exhibited volatile compound profiles through the two-phase electrolyte system, which was demonstrated to alter the odor characteristics of perfumes, resulting in fresher, sweeter, and more floral smells, with the lower characteristics of woody, green, leathery waxy smells, corresponding to variations in the types and quantities of odor-active compounds.

Major odor-active products, obtained primarily at the 2-phase-EC system, included benzaldehyde, methyl benzoate, 2-phenylethanol, limonene and phenylmethanol, which were the corresponding products after the EC reaction with the range of chromatogram area percentage of 1.3 ± 0.6 to 2.4 ± 2. The investigation also revealed the enrichment of several compounds at each cathode and anode electrode without undergoing electrochemical reactions, such as linalool and ethyl benzoate.

This two-phase-EC approach, combined with the analytical methodology, shows promise for future applications in the field of electrochemical reactions in organic media.