Evaluation of a gas chromatogram of a mixture containing aldehydes and aldehydic esters obtained by oxidative degradation of the positional isomers of methyl octadecenoate

Abstract

A simple method is described to evaluate gas chromatograms of mixtures containing aldehydes and aldehydic esters obtained by ozonolysis of mixtures of positional isomers of methyl octadecenoate. The evaluation is based on the assumption that the process of ozonolysis and the subsequent reduction of the ozonides is independent of the double bond position. This implies the formation of equivalent amounts of aldehydes and aldehydic esters, which results in certain ratios between the values of gas chromatographic peak areas of degradation products from the same molecule. These ratios can be calculated for a flame-ionization detector. Peak area values of partly or completely fused peaks can then easily be corrected.