How would you write an equation for the hydrogenation of glyceryl trilinolenate?

1 Answer
Truong-Son N.
Jan 12, 2016

Linolenic acid is an 18-carbon carboxylic acid with three double bonds somewhere on it, so we know it has 18 carbons, including the carbonyl carbon.

This compound is a derivative of glycerol, so it has to have three carbons on the main chain (middle left):

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I'm assuming full hydrogenation, because there is no reason why a particular double bond in this compound would be picked over another.

So, basically just take out all the double bonds. Adding "H"_2 via a typical hydrogenation (like in palladium over carbon) will eventually require donation of pi electrons from all those double bonds to acquire two hydrogen atoms per equivalent of "H"_2.

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