Benzyl esters in the gas-chromatographic purification of radioactive acetic acid from bacteria, and for the possible analysis of other short-chain acids

A method has been developed for the purification of small quantities of acetic acid from bacteria. The acetic acid, with added carrier and a second isotopic species as an internal standard, was extracted into diethyl ether, the benzyl ester was formed using diazotoluene (phenyldiazomethane) and the resultant benzyl acetate purified by small-scale preparative gas-liquid chromatography on a nonpolar stationary phase. Overall recoveries were in the range 26–40%. The method was extended to show the feasibility of the preparative purification of other short chain acids, and also for the analysis of C₁ to C₁₀ acids, as their benzyl esters.