Spectral confirmation of trans monounsaturated C-18 fatty acid positional isomers

The trans octadecenoic acid methyl ester isomers were obtained from a partially hydrogenated soybean oil sample and isolated by silver-ion high-performance liquid chromatography. The double bond configuration was confirmed to be trans by using gas chromatography-direct deposition-fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The double bond positions for nine individual trans octadecenoic acid positional isomers were confirmed by gas chromatography-electron ionization mass spectrometry after derivatization to 2-alkenyl-4,4-dimethyloxazoline. These nine trans positional isomers were resolved on either one of the two polar 100% cyanopropylpolysiloxane 100-m capillary columns, SP 2560 and Cp-Sil 88, at an isothermal temperature of 140 degrees C. These nine isomers were confirmed to have double bonds at carbons C-8 through C-16. The pair of trans octadecenoic acid positional isomers with double bonds at C-13 and C-14 are reported for the first time to be resolved by gas chromatography.