Etymology

edit

Is there any source that justifies the common name "enanthic" for this acid? As far as I could get, "enanthic" refers to the flavor of wine, and Ethyl heptanoate is used in the flavor industry because of its odor that is similar to grape - but to go beyond this point would be original research by synthesis :-) Albmont (talk) 21:07, 22 December 2009 (UTC)Reply

BTW: the German wikipedia article de:Önanthsäure gives the unsourced sentence Der Name kommt von griechisch οἶνος (oinos), der Wein, da sie erstmals im Rückstand von Weinhefe entdeckt wurde meaning The name comes from greek οἶνος (oinos), meaning Wine, (and here is the limit of my ferstehen of Deutsch). Albmont (talk) 21:11, 22 December 2009 (UTC)Reply
Full translation: "The name comes from the Greek οἶνος (oinos), English wine, because it was first discovered in a residue of wine yeast." But this does not explain the -anth- in the name. Any philogists out there?
-- Solo Owl 02:26, 5 August 2013 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Eall Ân Ûle (talkcontribs)

Recent reverts

edit

I recently reverted (and re-reverted) this edit to the article, which was sourced to a wikipedia user page. Per WP:RS, we need reliable sources for content that we include, and a wikipedia user page is not a reliable source. At absolutely best, it might be a self published, primary source, or a questionable source. We need a reliable secondary one instead. I'm happy to discuss further, but as of yet this doesn't meet our standards for sourcing. Thanks!   — Jess· Δ 16:45, 10 April 2012 (UTC)Reply

Removing the content as you did was the appropriate thing to do. The content describes chemistry that is dubious (at best). The synthesis of hexane from heptanoic acid is impractical, plant sources of heptanoic acid will never be "helpful in solving energy/fuel crisis", and claims about combustion are inaccurate. -- Ed (Edgar181) 16:53, 10 April 2012 (UTC)Reply

As a person who minored in Chemistry and spent the last 6 years independently studying chemistry, I can confirm that Hydrogen Chloride when heated with heptanoic acid will catalyze decarboxylation of the fatty acid into an alkane. Namely, that alkane will form hexane, which is the main component of gasoline. The synthesis of hexane from heptanoic acid is not impractical. And if it is, impractical by what standards? If you think its impractical to perform decarboxylation with hydrogen chloride, then edit the wiki article on decarboxylation. What happens is the H from HCl moves into the low LUMO of the heptanoic acid, which is right between the carbon-carbon bond. The Hydrogen bonds to the carbon, the bond is broken, which causes the bond between the Carbon and hydrogen to break and since two bonds are broken where the Carboxyl group of the fatty acid, carbon dioxide is formed. Then the other hydrogen bonds with the Cl that was broken, and HCl is reformed.

It likely happens in half-reactions like this: H3C-5(CH2)-COOH + HCl + Heat -> H3C-4(CH2)-CH3 + Cl. + (COOH)+

Cl. + (COOH)+ -> HCl + CO2

But even if the half-reactions happen on the carboxyl group first, the end result is the same product: Hexane, HCl, and CO2. HCl does not react with Hexane but will catalyze decarboxylation.

You are asserting your beliefs about it being impractical, which is impractical.

Combustion of hexane is impractical? I guess everyone should stop driving cars then.... cause that's what the majority of fuel is made out of.

My chemistry is correct, thats what a yale chemistry professor told me.

If you think the chemistry is wrong, then cite a source that says otherwise. Cite a source that says that hexane is not in gasoline, and that it will not burn. Cite a source that says what happens when you heat a fatty acid with hydrogen chloride. I am 100% confident that all sources will say that when you heat a carboxylic acid with a strong acid like hydrogen chloride, it will form an alkane and carbon dioxide. I am confident about this because I am a chemist, a first hand source of information.

"plant sources of heptanoic acid will never be "helpful in solving energy/fuel crisis" This is an unfounded assertion of what you believe. Basically it is your word versus mine. And I am the one holding the University level degree. --Schicagos (Schicagos)


Please see WP:V. The threshold for inclusion is verifiability, not truth. In other words, it doesn't matter if you are correct, it only matters if we can source the content to a reliable secondary source that meets WP:RS. You'll need to find a high quality source to include that content. Thanks!   — Jess· Δ 17:42, 10 April 2012 (UTC)Reply
Schicagos, on Wikipedia "me" is not a reliable source. If you're the first one to propose this way of hexane production (and that's what it looks like), this falls under original research. Wikipedia doesn't publish original thought, so until this production method is published in scientific journals, it doesn't belong in this article. --Six words (talk) 19:10, 10 April 2012 (UTC)Reply

"1-Hexane carboxylic acid" listed at Redirects for discussion

edit

  A discussion is taking place to address the redirect 1-Hexane carboxylic acid. The discussion will occur at Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion/Log/2020 October 15#1-Hexane carboxylic acid until a consensus is reached, and readers of this page are welcome to contribute to the discussion. Mdewman6 (talk) 20:56, 15 October 2020 (UTC)Reply