HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF ALIPHATIC LICHEN ACIDS

Aliphatic lichen acids can be transformed into their phenacyl esters w hich show strong absorption in the UV (ca. lambda = 240 nm) and which can be used to detect these compounds following high performance liqui d chromatography. Other suitable derivatives are the p-nitrophenyl and benzyl esters, as well as the benzoates of the alcohols prepared from the acids by reduction of the corresponding methyl esters with lithiu m aluminium hydride.