Vapor pressure data of nicotine, anabasine and cotinine using differential scanning calorimetry

• Measured vapor pressure data of three tobacco alkaloids.
• An evaluative summary of nicotine vapor pressure data available since 1928.
• Sample size has an important effect on the sharpness of the boiling endotherm.
• Experimentally derived Antoine equation constants and normal boiling points.
• Enthalpies of vaporization at normal boiling points and at 298.15 K.

The aim of the present study was to determine the vapor pressures of three tobacco alkaloids using the high pressure differential scanning calorimeter based technique, in accordance with a standard test method ASTM E 1782. The measurements were conducted in the pressure range from 15 to 1000 kPa. Temperature ranges for (l)-nicotine were from 447.7 to 617.8 K, for (±)-anabasine from 478 to 644.3 K and for (−)-cotinine from 537.7 to 669.7 K. Hermetic-type sealable pans with a pierced lid (pinhole diameter 50 μm) and a heating rate of 5 K/min were used. The experimental vapor pressure data were fitted to the Antoine equation. Enthalpies of vaporization and the normal boiling temperatures of the compounds were estimated from the measured data. Comparisons are made with published literature data. In addition, a review of the vapor pressure studies of nicotine and anabasine is given.