Mass spectral studies of deuterium‐labelled picolinyl fatty esters in the determination of double‐bond positions

Deuteration (with Wilkinson’s catalyst) of methyl 12:1(3c), 14:1(5c), 18:1(9c), 18:2(9c,12c), 18:3(9c,12c,15c), 20:4(5c,11c,14c,17c), 20:5(5c,8c,11c,14c,17c) and 22:6(4c,7c,10c,13c,16c,19c) fatty acids gave the corresponding deuterium‐labelled saturated fatty esters. The mass spectral analysis of their picolinyl esters gave clear diagnostic ion fragments, which permitted the facile and accurate determination of the positions of the double bonds (up to six) in the alkyl chain of the fatty ester.