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Daniels R, Yassin OA, Toribio JM, Gascón JA, Sotzing G. Re-Examining Cannabidiol: Conversion to Tetrahydrocannabinol Using Only Heat. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 2024; 9:486-494. [PMID: 36516105 DOI: 10.1089/can.2022.0235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: In the last decade, the market for Cannabidiol (CBD) has grown to become a near $2 billion dollar industry in the United States alone. This growth can be attributed to a growing social acceptance of marijuana, a more detailed understanding of many health benefits attributed to cannabinoids, and the low cost and wide availibility of hemp-derived cannabinoids. Due to the complex legal histories of marijuana and cannabinoids, the stability and safety of CBD is still an area of interest as research has been restricted globally. Conversion of CBD to its psychoactive isomers, most notably delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), presents a significant safety issue for consumers and producers of CBD products. Methods: Previous studies investigating the stability of CBD have focused mainly on replicating conditions experienced during long-term storage at room temperature or lower. Here, we report the thermal stability of CBD at 175°C. Dynamic 1H-NMR experiments and computational electronic structure calculations were used to characterize possible reaction paths from CBD to THC. Results: After 30 minutes of heating, Δ9-THC was produced in detectable amounts in aerobic and anaerobic conditions without an acid catalyst. Conclusions: Our findings support an energetically feasible reaction route that is favorable due to both an increase in phenol acidity at high temperatures and the presence of intramolecular OH-π hydrogen bonding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Daniels
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - Omer A Yassin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - John M Toribio
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - José A Gascón
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - Gregory Sotzing
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
- Polymer Program, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
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Daniels R, Morato EO, Yassin OA, Mao J, Mutlu Z, Jain M, Valenti J, Cakmak M, Nair LS, Sotzing GA. Poly(cannabinoid)s: Hemp-Derived Biocompatible Thermoplastic Polyesters with Inherent Antioxidant Properties. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2022; 14:42804-42811. [PMID: 36112124 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c05556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The legalization of hemp cultivation in the United States has caused the price of hemp-derived cannabinoids to decrease 10-fold within 2 years. Cannabidiol (CBD), one of many naturally occurring diols found in hemp, can be purified in high yield for low cost, making it an interesting candidate for polymer feedstock. In this study, two polyesters were synthesized from the condensation of either CBD or cannabigerol (CBG) with adipoyl chloride. Poly(CBD-Adipate) was cast into free-standing films and subjected to thermal, mechanical, and biological characterization. Poly(CBD-Adipate) films exhibited a lack of cytotoxicity toward adipose-derived stem cells while displaying an inherent antioxidant activity compared to poly(lactide) films. Additionally, this material was found to be semi-crystalline and able to be melt-processed into a plastic hemp leaf using a silicone baking mold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Daniels
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Erick Orozco Morato
- The Connecticut Convergence Institute for Translation in Regenerative Engineering, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030, United States
- Department of Skeletal Biology and Regeneration, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030, United States
| | - Omer A Yassin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Jiahao Mao
- School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47906, United States
| | - Zeynep Mutlu
- School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47906, United States
| | - Mayank Jain
- School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47906, United States
| | - Joseph Valenti
- College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Mukerrem Cakmak
- School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47906, United States
| | - Lakshmi S Nair
- The Connecticut Convergence Institute for Translation in Regenerative Engineering, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030, United States
- Department of Skeletal Biology and Regeneration, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030, United States
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Material Science and Engineering, Institute of Material Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Gregory A Sotzing
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
- Polymer Program, Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
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