title: Hydropyrolysis as a preparative method for the compound-specific carbon isotope analysis of fatty acids.
abstract: Compound-specific stable carbon isotope analysis by gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry is an effective and risk-free means of investigating fatty acid metabolism. Straightforward analysis, however, leads to poor chromatographic resolution, while derivatization adds carbon thereby corrupting the starting stable isotopic composition. Hydropyrolysis is a new approach which defunctionalizes fatty acids to yield the corresponding n-alkanes thus retaining the carbon skeleton intact and improving chromatography, allowing the faithful measurement of carbon isotope ratios.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Earth, Planetary, Space and Astronomical Research (CEPSAR), Earth Sciences, Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK. m.a.sephton@imperial.ac.uk
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sephton
authors.forename: Will
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Meredith
authors.forename: Cheng-Gong
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Colin E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Snape
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D005227:Fatty Acids; D002244:Carbon; D006859:Hydrogen