Synthesis of Linoleic Acid

Abstract

THE problem of the synthesis of the naturally occurring unsaturated aliphatic acids (nearly all of which possess the cis configuration about the double bonds) has only recently come under investigation in any detail. This is mainly due to the difficulty of obtaining, by classical methods, pure cis-ethylenic compounds. The present rapid development of acetylene chemistry, coupled with the fact that catalytic partial hydrogenation of the triple bond results in the formation of an ethylenic compound of cis configuration, has removed this stumbling-block, and the exploitation of this technique is being widely studied.