The preparation, gas liquid chromatography, and some physical and chemical properties of certain higher aliphatic 2,4-diketones--a new lipid class.

Fourteen saturated aliphatic 2,4-diketones, ranging in chain length from C7 to C25, and one unsaturated compound, delta12-2,4-heneicosenedione, were prepared by Claisen acylations of the appropriate methyl ketones, and their gas chromatographic behavior was studied. Mixtures of these diketones were resolved on columns containing UCW98 or Carbowax 20M stationary phases. Their methoxime and 2,4-dinitrophenylsemicarbazone derivatives were resolved on OV-17 and OV-1 stationary phases, respectively. Since higher homologous aliphatic 2,4-diketones have been found in mammalian tissues, they constitute a new lipid class.