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Thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry of natural and synthetic melanins

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Abstract

The thermal stability of natural melanins from bovine eyes, black human hair and the hard core of banana peel, synthetic melanins obtained enzymatically or by autoxidation of various precursors, and chemically modified synthetic melanins was studied by DSC and TG analysis. It was shown that the resistance of melanins to thermal degradation depends on their origin. Synthetic melanins were found to be more stable to thermal decomposition than natural melanins. Methylation of melanins caused a significant increase in thermal stability. The DSC curves of melanins reveal typical relaxation phenomena in the temperature range 293–413 K.

Zusammenfassung

Mittels DSC und TG wurde die thermische Stabilität von natürlichen Melaninen aus Rindsaugen, aus schwarzem menschlichen Haar und aus Hartteilen von Bananenschalen, weiterhin von enzymatisch oder durch Autoxidation aus verschiedenen Präkursoren synthetisierten Melaninen sowie von chemisch modifizierten synthetischen Melaninen untersucht. Es zeigte sich, daß die Beständigkeit von Melaninen gegenüber thermischem Abbau von ihrem Ursprung abhängt. Synthetische Melanine erwiesen sich in der thermischen Zersetzung als stabiler als Melanine natürlichen Ursprunges. Durch Methylierung wird eine eindeutige Steigerung der thermischen Stabilität verursacht. Im Temperaturbereich 293–413 K zeigen weisen die DSC-Kurven der Melanine typische Relaxationserscheinungen auf.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of General and Physical Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia

    B. Simonovic, V. Vucelic & A. Hadzi-Pavlovic

  2. Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Silesian Medical Academy, Poland

    K Stepien & T. Wilczok

  3. Institute of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia

    D. Vucelic

Authors
  1. B. Simonovic
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  2. V. Vucelic
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  3. A. Hadzi-Pavlovic
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  4. K Stepien
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  5. T. Wilczok
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  6. D. Vucelic
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Simonovic, B., Vucelic, V., Hadzi-Pavlovic, A. et al. Thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry of natural and synthetic melanins. Journal of Thermal Analysis 36, 2475–2482 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01913644

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01913644

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