Tobacco-specific Alkaloids (TSA) Formation in Aged E-cigarette Juices: Mechanistic Insights into Hydroxyl Radical–Initiated Nicotine Oxidation

Abstract

Vaping e-cigarette juice (e-juice) is popular among young consumers. Although e-juice compositions are well characterized, chemical transformations during indoor storage are often overlooked. Particularly, the fundamentals of nicotine oxidation in aged e-juices remain poorly understood, despite rising consumer concerns. This work utilizes p-toluenesulfonyl chloride (TsCl) derivatization, coupled with analysis by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, to study nicotine oxidation under a realistic storage environment. We report that tobacco-specific alkaloids (TSAs), including nornicotine (NN) and anabasine (ANA), can accumulate in aged e-juice. These compounds are immediate precursors of carcinogens. Within nine days of storage, NN concentration can reach up to 250 μmol/L and can remain elevated during prolonged storage. This concentration is 6 times higher than that of fresh e-juices and more than 270 times higher than that of typical human saliva. A hydroxyl radical oxidation (OH-oxidation) experiment indicated that the indoor OH-oxidation of nicotine yields TSAs. Lastly, we propose a radical-driven mechanism supported by the detection of nitroxide radicals in the EPR spectra. These radicals demonstrated strong correlations with nicotine (R² = 0.94-0.98). This work reveals the transformation of nicotine in popular consumable products and highlights the importance of encouraging proper e-juice storage practices.