The Chemical Deuteration team within National Deuteration Facility has succeeded in synthesising gram-quantities of deuterated oleic acid, a major component in common vegetable oils such as olive, peanut and sesame oils, and the most abundant fatty acid present in many animal fats (chicken, pig and human).
This work also has great relevance to work on biological cell membranes, which contain oleic acid as a segment in phospholipid tails.
This synthesis progress will now enable a whole class of new reflectometry and small-angle neutron scattering experiments using oleic acid.
Published: 06/08/2010