Transforming VOC into Sedative Compound Using Diatom-based Aluminosilicate
Nadia Tuada A., Rindia Maharani P., Didin Mujahidin., Zeily Nurachman

Biochemistry Division, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institut Teknologi Bandung

Abstract

Acetaldehyde is often found in cigarette smoke, wood burning, and exhaust gases. As a highly flammable and volatile compound, exposure to acetaldehyde has the risk of causing respiratory irritation and increasing the risk of cancer. Acetaldehyde can be processed into paraldehyde, which is a sedative used by people with epilepsy. Aluminosilicate based on diatom biosilica was able to accelerate the transformation of acetaldehyde into paraldehyde as proven by H-NMR and strengthened by GCMS analysis. Acetaldehyde transformation into paraldehyde was carried out at low temperature (37oC) and stirred at 400 rpm for 24 hours. Sample characterization using H-NMR showed new peaks at shifts of 0.55-0.73 ppm (doublet) and 4.2-4.55 ppm (quartet) which were indicated as protons of paraldehyde (-CH3) and (-H). Where the peaks of the precursor compounds were at shifts of 2.12-2.18 ppm (-CH3 acetaldehyde), 2.23 ppm (-CH3 as. acetate), 9.64-9.84 (-H acetaldehyde), and 11, 54 (O-H as. acetate). This observation was confirmed by GCMS analysis which produced 2 sharp peaks and 1 broad peak. The paraldehyde peak was identified at a retention time of 7.654 minutes and resulted in fragments of 43, 45, 87, 89, and 117 m/z. The acetaldehyde peak appears at a retention time of 1.275 minutes while acetic acid appears as a broad peak in the retention time range of 2.245-3.195 minutes.

Keywords: Acetaaldehyde, Biosilica Diatom, GCMS, H-NMR, Paraldehyde

Topic: Materials Sciences: Synthetic and Characterization