Heats of hydrogenation of large molecules. Part 2.—Six unsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids

Abstract

We have determined the heats of hydrogenation of the C₁₆ and C₁₈ unsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, palmitoleic, oleic, elaidic, linoleic, linelaidic and linolenic acids. This paper reports and interprets the results in the light of previous experimental measurements and theoretical predictions. Heats of formation follow from Hess' Law addition to the reliable values of the heats of formation of the hydrogenation products, hexadecanoic (palmitic) and octadecanoic (stearic) acids. Our results are generally in serious disagreement with the scattered experimental data and predictions gleaned from the literature and represent, we think, a significant improvement over them.