Two-step homogeneous conjugation and hydrogenation of methyl esters of unsaturated fatty acids

A new approach to the selective hydrogenation of unsaturated fatty acids is suggested. It consists of a two step process. The first is a selective conjugation of the double bonds, while the second consists of the hydrogenation reaction using a catalyst which is specific to conjugated systems. Potassiumt-butoxide was used as a conjugation catalyst and its activity and selectivity were tested at various concentrations, different molar ratios of catalyst to oil, and in various solvents. Phenanthrene chromium tricarbonyl was used as the hydrogenation catalyst and its activity tested at various concentrations, temperatures and in various solvents. UN Expert, Physical Organic Chemist.     

Homogeneous catalytic hydrogenation of unsaturated fats: Cobalt carbonyl

Homogeneous hydrogenation of unsaturated fats by cobalt carbonyl has been compared with the previously reported catalysis by iron carbonyl. Soybean methyl esters, methyl linoleate and linolenate have been hydrogenated at 75–180C, 250–3,000 psi H₂ and 0.02 molar concn of catalyst. The cobalt carbonyl catalyst is more active at lower temp than iron carbonyl. The partially reduced products are similar to those observed with iron carbonyl, but the reaction differs in showing much less accumulation of conjugated dienes, no selectivity toward linolenate, almost complete absence of monoene hydrogenation to saturates, less double bond migration and moretrans isomerization. No evidence was found for a stable complex between cobalt carbonyl and unsaturated fats as previously observed with iron carbonyl. The rates of hydrogenation/double bond were the same for linoleate and linolenate on one hand, and for alkali-conjugated linoleate and nonconjugated linoleate on the other. Presented at AOCS Meeting in Minneapolis, 1963. A laboratory of the No. Utiliz. Res. & Dev. Div., ARS, USDA.     

Conjugation of polyunsaturated acids

The isomerization reaction of methyl linoleate and methyl linolenate with potassiumt-butoxide has been investigated. The compositions of the reaction products formed at three temperatures have been determined and the relationships between these analyses and observed differences in absorptivities by UV spectrometry are discussed. Conclusions concerning the reaction mechanisms are based on compositional analysis and results of experiments using radioactive or stable isotope labeled reagent. Double bonds in molecules which are not conjugated during the reaction retain the originalcis configuration. The double bond in the Δ12 position is the most susceptible to positional isomerization to form the conjugated system. With the diene, this selectivity is small, while with the triene, the shifting of the Δ12 bond is the preponderant initial reaction. Isotopic experiments yielded direct evidence for the postulated carbanion mechanism of reaction. An activated methylene group is generally required for the formation of the carbanion. While the UV spectra of the reaction products formed from methyl linolenate at 140 C showed no peak in the diene region, 34% conjugated diene-triene was present. The intact conjugated systems can migrate when the reaction is sufficiently energentic to produce conjugated trienes with double bonds other than the 10, 12, 14 system. The conjugation of triene is a stepwise reaction through the conjugated dienetriene. This paper reports in part research submitted to satisfy thesis requirements for a Master’s Degree at Bradley University. Bond Award paper. Award presented at the 43rd AOCS Fall Meeting, Minneapolis, October 1969. No. Utiliz. Res. Dev. Div., ARS, USDA.     

Hydrogenation of soybean oil with copper catalysts containing small amounts of nickel catalysts

Reaction rates, linolenate/linoleate reaction selectivity,trans formation, and conjugated diene formation were determined for mixed commerical catalysts containing 0.5, 1, 2, 10, and 20 parts nickel catalyst (25% nickel) per 1000 parts copper chromite catalyst (ppt) and at catalyst concentrations in the oil of 1.0, 0.5, and 0.25%. The rate of hydrogenation increased as the amount of nickel increased. Addition of 0.5, 1, and 2 ppt nickel catalyst to copper chomite catalyst resulted in a small decrease in selectivity compared with straight copper chromite. When soybean oil was hydrogenated with these mixed catalysts sufficiently to reduce linolenate to 0, iodine values were 102–108 compared to 109–112 for straight copper chromite and to less than 80 for straight nickel. Presented at the AOCS Meeting, New Orleans April 1973. ARS, USDA.     

Homogeneous catalytic hydrogenation of unsaturated fats: Group VIB metal carbonyl complexes

Carbonyl complexes of Cr, Mo and W have been studied as soluble catalysts for the hydrogenation of methyl sorbate and of methyl esters from soybean oil. With methyl sorbate, relative catalytic activity decreased in the approximate order: mesitylene-Mo(CO)₃, cycloheptatriene-Mo(CO)₃, cycloheptatriene-Cr(CO)₃, bicyclo (2,2,1) hepta-2,5-diene-Mo(CO)₄, chlorobenzene-Cr(CO)₃, methyl benzoate-Cr(CO)₃, mesitylene-W(CO)₃, benzene-Cr(CO)₃, toluene-Cr(CO)₃, mesitylene-Cr(CO)₃, and hexamethylbenzene-Cr(CO)₃. Order of catalytic activity was related to thermal stability of the complexes during hydrogenation. With mesitylene-M(CO)₃ complexes, selectivity varied in the order Cr>Mo>W. Under certain conditions the mesitylene complexes of W, Cr and Mo reduced methyl sorbate respectively to methyl 2-, 3-, and 4-hexenoates as main products. The more active and thermally stable Cr(CO)₃ complexes catalyzed effectively the hydrogenation of linoleate and linolenate in soybean oil esters with little or no stearate formation. The hydrogenated products formed with the benzoate complex at 165–175 C contained 50–67% monoene, 18–30% diene, 2–7% conjugated diene, and only 3–7%trans unsaturation. Linolenate-linoleate selectivity values varied from 3 to 5 and linoleate-oleate selectivity from 7 to 80. Monoene fractions had 40–50% of the double bond in the C-9 position; the rest of the unsaturation was distributed mainly between the C-10 and C-12 positions. Conjugation is apparently an intermediate step in the hydrogenation of linoleate and linolenate. The Cr(CO)₃ complexes are unique in catalyzing the hydrogenation of polyunsaturated fatty esters to monounsaturated fatty esters of lowtrans content. Presented at AOCS-AACC Joint Meeting, Washington, D.C. April, 1968. No. Utiliz. Res. Dev. Div., ARS, USDA.     

Kinetics of hydrogenation of conjugated triene and diene with nickel,palladium, platinum and copper-chromite catalysts

A mixture of methyl linoleate and alkali-conjugated methyl linoleate was reduced with nickel, palladium, platinum and copper-chromite catalysts. The course of hydrogenation was followed by gas liquid chromatography of samples withdrawn at intervals. Relative rate constants of reactants and inermediates were calculated by a computer. Conjugated linoleate was 10–18 times more reactive than methyl linoleate with all catalysts except platinum, which showed no selectivity at 60 C. At 150 C conjugated diene reacted four times faster than methyl linoleate with platinum catalyst. A conjugated diene-to-stearate shunt was observed with palladium and platinum catalysts. When β-eleostearate was hydrogenated with the same catalysts, 50–97% of the triene was reduced directly to monoene with all catalysts except copper chromite, which selectively reduced conjugated triene to conjugated diene. On the basis of present kinetic data and previous knowledge about the mode of hydrogen addition to conjugated systems, a scheme has been proposed to account for the products formed during hydrogenation of methyl linolenate. ARS, USDA.     

Homogeneous catalytic hydrogenation of soybean oil: Palladium acetylacetonate

Soybean oil was hydrogenated with palladium acetylacetonate at 60–170 C, 150 psi hydrogen and 1–60 ppm palladium. The best linolenate selectivity (K_Le/K_Lo=3.5−3.7) was found at 80–120 C. At 120 C palladium acetylacetonate hydrogenated faster than the heterogeneous Pd-on-carbon catalyst.Trans isomerization with the homogeneous catalyst was much higher compared to Pd-on-carbon catalyst. The low activity of the palladium complex at low temperatures was improved with the addition of triethylaluminum. Among other metal acetylacetonates tested only nickel and chromium were mildly active, whereas cobalt and copper were devoid of catalyst activity.     

Homogeneous catalytic hydrogenation of unsaturated fats: Metal acetylacetonates

Hydrogenation of linseed and soybean methyl esters was achieved at 100–180C, 100–1000 psi H₂ and 0.05–0.25 moles catalyst per mole of ester. The relative activity of metal acetylacetonates in decreasing order was: nickel (III), cobalt (III), copper (II) and iron (III). Reduction occurred readily in methanol solution but only slowly in dimethylformamide and acetic acid. No reduction occurred in the absence of solvents. Soybean oil was also hydrogenated rapidly with nickel (III) acetylacetonate in methanol, but in this system the triglycerides were converted to methyl esters. Nickel (III) acetylacetonate was the most selective catalyst toward linolenate hydrogenation. Methyl linoleate and linolenate hydrogenated with nickel(III) acetylacetonate were fractionated into monoenes, dienes and trienes. Thecis monoenes separated in 62 to 68% yield had double bonds in the original position. The remainingtrans monoenes had extensively scattered unsaturation. The dienes and trienes showed no conjugation, but some of the double bonds in the dienes were not conjugatable with alkali. Little stearate was formed. Presented at AOCS meeting in Chicago, 1964 No. Util. Res. and Dev. Div. ARS, USDA     

Hydrogenation of unsaturated fatty esters with copper-chromite catalyst: Kinetics,mechanism and isomerization

Hydrogenation of linolenate with copper chromite produced a large amount of conjugated diene and minor amounts of nonconjugatable dienes. The double bonds in conjugated dienes and monoenes were scrambled all along the chain. This product distribution can be explained if it is assumed that conjugation of the double bonds is followed by hydrogenation. In competitive hydrogenation, fatty esters with conjugated double bonds were reduced preferentially over fatty esters with methylene-interrupted double bonds. Isomerization of conjugated double bonds (geometric and positional) occurred more rapidly than reduction. Reduction of conjugated double bonds in the presence of deuterium resulted in a majority of the products containing no deuterium. Most of the added deuterium was incorporated into the unreacted material. Mechanisms are proposed to account for the products formed during the hydrogenation of linolenate, linoleate and their isomers. One of 10 papers to be published from the Symposium “Hydrogenation,” presented at the AOCS Meeting, New Orleans, April 1970. No. Utiliz. Res. Dev. Div., ARS, USDA.     

Selective hydrogenation with copper catalysts: V. Kinetics and mechanism at high pressure

The mechanism of hydrogenation at 900~950 psi with copper-chromite catalyst was investigated with pure methyl esters as well as their mixtures. A comparison of double bond distribution intrans-monoenes formed during hydrogenation of linoleate and alkali-conjugated linoleate revealed that 85~95% of the double bonds in linoleate conjugated prior to hydrogenation. The mode of hydrogen addition to conjugated triene and diene at high pressure is similar to that at low pressure but positional and geometric isomerizations of unreduced conjugated esters were less at high pressure. Geometric isomerization of methyl linoleate and linolenate was considerable at high pressure whereas it was negligible at low pressure. The absence of conjugated products during hydrogenation of polyunsaturated fatty acid esters resulted from their high reactivity. Conjugated dienes are 12 times more reactive than the triene, methyl linolenate, and 31 times more reactive than the diene, methyl linoleate. The products of methyl linolenate hydrogenation were the same as those predicted by the conjugation mechanism. Presented at the 70th Annual Meeting of the American Oil Chemists' Society, San Francisco, April 29~May 3, 1979.     

Cis-Unsaturated fatty acid products by hydrogenation with chromium hexacarbonyl

The use of Cr(CO)₆ was investigated to convert polyunsaturated fats intocis unsaturated products. With methyl sorbate, the same order of selectivity for the formation ofcis-3-hexenoate was demonstrated for Cr(CO)₆ as for the arene-Cr(CO)₃ complexes. With conjugated fatty esters, the stereoselectivity of Cr(CO)₆ toward thetrans, trans diene system was particularly high in acetone. However, this solvent was not suitable at elevated temperatures required to hydrogenatecis, trans- andcis, cis-conjugated dienes (175 C) and nonconjugated soybean oil (200 C). Reaction parameters were analyzed statistically to optimize hydrogenation of methyl sorbate and soybean oil. To achieve acceptable oxidative stability, it is necessary to reduce the linolenate constituent of soybean oil below 1–3%. When this is done commercially with conventional heterogenous catalysts, the hydrogenated products contain more than 15%trans unsaturation. By hydrogenating soybean oil with Cr(CO)₆ (200 C, 500 psi H₂, 1% catalyst in hexane solution), the product contains less than 3% each of linolenate andtrans unsaturation. Recycling of Cr(CO)₆ catalyst by sublimation was carried through three hydrogenations of soybean oil, but, about 10% of the chromium was lost in each cycle by decomposition. The hydrogenation mechanism of Cr(CO)₆ is compared with that of arene-Cr(CO)₃ complexes. Presented in part at Seventh Conference on Catalysis in Organic Syntheses, Chicago, Illinois, June 5–7, 1978.     

Hydrogenation of methyl sorbate and soybean esters with polymer-bound metal catalysts

New polymer-bound hydrogenation catalysts were made by complexing PdCl₂, RhCl₃·3H₂O, or NiCl₂ with anthranilic acid anchored to chloromethylated polystyrene. The Pd(II) and Ni(II) polymers were reduced to the corresponding Pd(O) and Ni(O) catalysts with NaBH₄. In the hydrogenation of methyl sorbate, these polymer catalysts were highly selective for the formation of methyl 2-hexenoate. The diene to monoene selectivity decreased in the order: Pd(II), Pd(O), Rh(I), Ni(II), Ni(O). Kinetic studies support 1,2-reduction of the Δ4 double bond of sorbate as the main path of hydrogenation. In the hydrogenation of soybean esters, the Pd(II) polymer catalysts proved superior because they were more active than the Ni(II) polymers and produced lesstrans unsaturation than the Rh(I) polymers. Hydrogenation with Pd(II) polymers at 50~100 C and 50 to 100 psi H₂ decreased the linolenate content below 3% and increasedtrans unsaturation to 10~26%. The linolenate to linoleate selectivity ranged from 1.6 to 3.2. Reaction parameters were analyzed statistically to optimize hydrogenation. Recycling through 2 or 3 hydrogenations of soybean esters was demonstrated with the Pd(II) polymers. In comparison with commercial Pd-on-alumina, the Pd(II) polymers were less active and as selective in the hydrogenation of soybean esters but more selective in the hydrogenation of methyl sorbate. Presented at ISF-AOCS Meeting, New York, April 1980.     

Hydrogenation of linolenate. XII. Effect of solvents on selectivity

Selectivity of heterogeneous catalysts for hydrogenation of linolenate over linoleate is increased by the presence of certain polar solvents. A ratio of specific reaction rate constants for linolenate to linoleate of 4 was obtained with a 5% palladium-on-alumina catalyst when dimethyl formamide (DMF) was used as the solvent. This high selectivity of DMF was independent of temperature and catalyst concentration. Other solvents that improved selectivity include furfural, acetonitrile, tetramethyl urea and trimethyl phosphate. Presented at AOCS meeting in Chicago, 1964. A laboratory of the No. Utiliz. Res. & Dev. Div., ARS, USDA.     

Isomerization of unsaturated fatty esters by iron pentacarbonyl. Preparation of iron tricarbonyl complexes of polyunsaturated fats

Iron pentacarbonyl is a powerful isomerization agent of unsaturated fatty esters. Highly conjugated fats are obtained when polyunsaturated fatty esters are treated with an excess Fe(CO)₅ to form complexes followed by decomposition of the complexes with FeCl₃. Iron tricarbonyl complexes were prepared in 80 to 95% yields from methyl linoleate, linolenate and polyunsaturated fatty esters of soybean, linseed and safflower oils by heating at 180–185C with 2 moles Fe(CO)₅ per mole ester under nitrogen pressure. Decomposition of these complexes with FeCl₃ resulted in 90 to 97% conjugation of the polyunsaturated fatty esters mainly in the alltrans configuration. Isolatedtrans unsaturation reached levels of 18 to 30%. Methyl oleate yielded 74%trans unsaturation but no complex of iron carbonyl was obtained. Presented in part at AOCS meeting in Houston, 1965. No. Utiliz. Res. Dev. Div., ARS, USDA.     

cis-bond-producing hydrogenation of polyunsaturates catalyzed by polymer-complexed Cr(CO)3 catalysts

cis-Bond-producing chromium carbonyl catalysts were prepared by complexing conventional or macroreticular, styrene-divinylbenzene copolymers or cross-linked poly (vinyl benzoate) with Cr(CO)₆. With one exception, these polymer-Cr(CO)₃ catalysts were as selective as the corresponding homogeneous arene-Cr(CO)₃ complexes for the formation ofcis-monoenes from methyl sorbate and from conjugated, polyunsaturated fatty esters in cyclohexane. Although several of the polymer catalysts were very active when fresh, they all lost activity on recycling. They could not be recycled more than two times before a marked decrease in activity occurred due to loss of Cr, as shown by elemental analysis and infrared absorption in the recovered catalyst. Thermal analysis indicated instability of the polymer complexes at hydrogenation temperatures.     

Hydrogenation of linolenate. VIII. Effects of catalyst concentration and of temperature on rate,selectivity, andtrans formation

The effects of catalyst concentration and of temperature on linolenate selectivity,trans formation, and rate of hydrogenation have been studied for a commercial electrolytic nickel catalyst. Results obtained with an equimixture of linoleate and linolenate, following the procedure previously described, are presented as isometric drawings, which cover the experimentally practicable temperature ranges from 70–230C and nickel concentration from 0.05–10%. Whereas the rate of hydrogenation depends upon both temperature and catalyst concentration,trans formation is essentially a function of temperature while selectivity is little influenced by either parameter. Presented at the AOCS meeting in New Orleans, La., 1962. A laboratory of the No. Utiliz. Res. & Dev. Div., ARS, U. S. D. A.     

Selective hydrogenation of soybean oil: X. Ultra high pressure and low pressure1

Soybean oil was partially hydrogenated with copper-chromite catalyst at 170 C and up to 30,000 psig hydrogen pressure. Catalyst activity increased with increase in pressure up to 15,000 psig. The linolenate selectivity (S_Ln) of the reaction remained essentially unchanged over 50–1000 psig pressure range. A S_Ln of 5.5 to 5.6 was achieved at 15,000 to 30,000 psig pressure range. This value is somewhat lower than the selectivity at 50–1000 psig, but much higher than that obtained with nickel catalysts. Geometric isomerization increased as pressure increased up to 200 psig; above this pressure, the percenttrans remained the same up to 500 psig.trans Isomer content decreased when the pressure was increased to 30,000 psig. cis,trans Isomerization of linoleate was greater at 1000 psig and 15,000 psig than at 50 psig. At 15,000 psig, part of the linoleate in soybean oil was hydrogenated directly without prior conjugation, whereas at low pressures, all of the double bonds first conjugate prior to hydrogenation. This difference in mechanism might explain the lower selectivities obtained at high pressures. Conjugated diene isomers were found in the products up to 200 psig. Above this pressure conjugated diene was not measurable. No significant differences were found in the double bond distribution oftrans monoenes even though the amount oftrans monoene formed decreased as pressure was increased to 30,000 psig. 1 Presented at the AOCS meeting, San Francisco, May 1979.     

Hydrogenation of linolenate. V. Procedure of evaluating hydrogenation catalysts for selectivity

Equations for determining the ratio of hydrogenation rates for linolenate and linoleate acyl groups are derived from kinetic theory. They are based upon the analysis for linolenate after absorption of 0.5 mole of hydrogen by an equal mixture of linoleate and linolenate. This method finds routine application in the evaluation of hydrogenation catalysts for selectivity. Presented at spring meeting, American Oil Chemists' Society, May 1–3, 1961, St. Louis, Mo. This is a laboratory of the Northern Utilization Research and Development Division, Agricultural Research Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture.     

Hydrogenation ofcis-9,cis-12-,cis-9,trans-12- andtrans-9,trans-12- Octadecadienoates

The products formed by hydrogenation of methylcis-9,trans-12- andtrans-9,trans-12-octadecadienoates with nickel and platinum catalysts have been compared with those from methyl esters of the naturally occurring all-cis linoleate. Hydrogen uptake is slower for thetrans isomers. Much of the monoene consisted of esters with double bonds at the 9 and 12 positions with their original geometric configurations. Monoenoic esters with double bonds at the 10 and 11 positions were predominatelytrans and apparently formed by conjugation before hydrogenation. Nickel produced more isomerization than platinum but less than previously reported for copper. With both catalysts hydrogenation proceeded both directly and through conjugated intermediates, in contrast to copper in which all hydrogenation is believed to follow conjugation. Presented at the AOCS Meeting, Los Angeles, April 1972. ARS, USDA.     

Selective hydrogenation with copper catalysts: III. Hydrogen addition and isomerization

β-Eleostearate was found to be reduced by 1,6 addition of hydrogen. Because of the extensive isomerization of conjugated trienes during hydrogenation, the occurrence of 1,2 and 1,4 addition reactions could not be proven. Conjugated dienes were reduced by both 1,2 and 1,4 addition of hydrogen. The double bond distribution in the products formed from linoleate, linolenate and their isomers was consistent with the assumption that the double bonds in polyunsaturated fatty esters conjugate and then add hydrogen. Extensive isomerization (positional and geometric) of the conjugated double bond systems occurred during hydrogenation. Monoenes were not isomerized under similar conditions of hydrogenation. Since double bond distribution in monoenes formed from linoleate and alkali-isomerized linoleate was identical, indications are that conjugation precedes hydrogenation. Presented in part at the symposium “Hydrogenation Process,” Division of Industrial Engineering Chemistry, 157th American Chemical Society Meeting, Minneapolis, April 1968. No. Utiliz. Res. Dev. Div., ARS, USDA.