Deoxygenation of β-Hydroxymyristic Acid over Pd/C

β-hydroxymyristic acid (BHMA) is an impurity in fatty acids produced phototrophically by a genetically engineered cyanobacterium (Synechocystis).  BHMA is deoxygenated readily over Pd/C to tridecane via reaction pathways that involve 2-tridecanol and 2-tridecanone intermediates. Our results suggest that BHMA inhibits lauric acid deoxygenation by preferential adsorption on Pd.