OZONOLYSIS OF UNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS: I. OZONOLYSIS OF OLEIC ACID

Ozonolysis of oleic acid in methanol, a reacting solvent, with subsequent decomposition of the ozonide products by hydrogen peroxide in formic acid, gives yields of principal dicarboxylic acid fission products exceeding 95% with a minimum of secondary acidic products. The method is highly reproducible and offers unique advantages in the total recovery of the dicarboxylic acids and the elimination of peroxidic materials. The principal non-acidic by-products were tentatively identified as the Cs alcohols and their formyl esters.