THE INTERNAL DOUBLE-BOND INSERTION - A SIDE REACTION OF ALIPHATIC-HYDROCARBONS DEGRADATION IN SOIL

After supplementing the topsoil of a glossic luvisol with pure alkanes and incubating, soil lipids were extracted. Alkanes and alkanoic mono acid fractions were separated and analysed by gas chromatography and m ass spectrometry. Alkylation was used for determining the double-band position in the carbon chain. During the incubation of alkanes in soil , fatty alcohols, fatty acids and methylketones are generally generate d. In our study, alkenes (chiefly alk-9-enes) were also generated from the internal dehydrogenation of alkanes freshly added to the soil. Na tural soil alkanes were not involved in this process. The generated al lenes did not persist in the soil. They were terminally oxidized on ei ther of the two terminal methyl groups. Consequently, two different al kenoic monoacids can be generated from each alkene.