Abstract
AN examination of the non-saponifiable fraction of the absolute from Spanish broom (Spartium junceum L.) by chromatography on alumina has led to the isolation of a fraction which is retained tenaciously by the adsorbent. The fraction was recovered by extraction of the alumina with hot ethanol. Purification readily gave octadecan-1 : 18-diol, melting point 99° (found: C, 75.5; H, 13.2; active H, 0.6; calc. for C18H38O2: C, 75.5; H, 13.3; active H, 0.7 per cent). Octadecan-1 : 18-diol, melting point 99°, was synthesized by the reduction of diethyl octadecan-1 : 18-dioate with lithium aluminium hydride1, and a comparison of the synthetic and natural diols and of the corresponding diacetates and bisdinitrobenzoates established their identity. Confirmation of the nature of the natural product was obtained by its oxidation with chromic acid, which gave octadecan-1 : 18-dioic acid.
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MUSGRAVE, O., STARK, J. & SPRING, F. Isolation of Octadecan-I : 18-diol from Spanish Broom. Nature 168, 298 (1951). https://doi.org/10.1038/168298a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/168298a0
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