Hydrogenation and deuteration of conjugated isomers of linoleate and linolenate with palladium,platinum, nickel and lindlar catalysts

Conjugated isomers of methyl linoleate and linolenate were reduced with palladium, platinum, nickel and Lindlar catalysts at atmospheric hydrogen or deuterium pressure. After the products were separated, positions of their double bonds were determined by ozonolysis. Palladium and platinum catalysts reduced β-eleostearate directly to monoene. Nickel reduced β-eleostearate to dienes chiefly by 1,2-addition and to a lesser extent by 1,4- and 1,6-addition, whereas Lindlar catalyst reduced by 1,2-and 1,6-addition only. All catalysts reduced conjugated linoleate isomers by both 1,2- and 1,4-addition, with nickel being somewhat preferential for 1,2-addition. Selectivity for the catalytic reduction of dienes to monoenes decreased in the order: nickel, palladium and platinum. Lindlar catalyst did not isomerize or reduce monoenes that formed during reduction. Palladium and platinum did not isomerize conjugated dienes and trienes during their reduction, whereas nickel and Lindlar catalysts isomerized them slightly. Some deuterium was found in unreacted conjugated diene and triene with nickel and Lindlar catalysts, but none with palladium or platinum. Deuterated products contained a wide range of isotopic isomers with some products having up to 31 deuterium atoms. This wide deuterium distribution resulted from (a) exchange followed by addition, (b) addition followed by exchange and (c) exchange-addition-exchange reactions. Presented at the AOCS Meeting, Atlantic City, October 1971. ARS, USDA.     

Homogeneous hydrogenation of methylcis-9,cis-15-octadecadienoate catalyzed by platinum-tin,palladium and nickel complexes

Methylcis-9,cis-15-octadecadienoate was used as a model for the hydrogenation of methyl linolenate. Homogeneous catalysis by platinum, palladium and nickel complexes produced a mixture of isomeric monoenes similar to that from the hydrogenation of methyl linolenate. These catalysts are, therefore, capable of promoting isomerization of isolated double bonds and of producing conjugated dienes which are necessary for the formation of monoenes. N. Market, and Nutr. Res. Div., ARS, USDA.     

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.     

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.     

Selektivhydrierung von Fettstoffen mit metallorganischen Mischkatalysatoren nach Ziegler-Sloan-Lapporte IV: Isomerenverteilung während der Hydrierung mehrfach ungesättigter Fettsäuremethylester

Selective Hydrogenation of Fats and Derivatives Using Ziegler-Type Organometallic Catalysts IV: Distribution of Isomers during Hydrogenation of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Methylesters Hydrogenation of methyl linoleate using a Ziegler-type catalyst, containing nickel stearate and triethyl aluminium, proceeds mainly without previous conjugation or trans-isomerization. Both olefinic double bonds are hydrogenated with equal probability. As long as the reaction mixture contains double unsaturated esters, these compounds are inhibiting hydrogenation and isomerization of single unsaturated esters. During hydrogenation of methyl linolenate there is only less selectivity to formation of methyl linoleate. Intermediate product is a mixture of single and double unsaturated fatty acid methylesters. In the latter compounds after consumption of triple unsaturated esters both double bonds are separated by two or more methylene groups. Polyenic compounds with 1,4-position of olefinic double bonds are preferably hydrogenated than polyenic compounds with greater distance between the double bonds.     

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: 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.     

Hydrogenation of alkali-conjugated linoleate: Isomeric monoene profiles obtained with nickel,palladium and platinum catalysts

Alkali-conjugated linoleate (cis-9,trans-11- andtrans-10,cis-12-octadecadienoate) was hydrogenated with nickel, palladium and platinum catalysts. Thetrans andcis monoenes formed during reduction were isolated, and their double bond distribution was determined by reductive ozonolysis and gas liquid chromatography. About 44–69% of the monoenes were composed of δ¹⁰ and δ¹¹ trans monoene isomers, whereas the δ⁹ and δ¹² cis monoenes amounted to 20–26%. With nickel catalyst, composition of monoene isomers remained the same, even when the hydrogenation temperature was increased. The monoene isomer profiles between nickel and palladium catalysts were indistinguishable. Isomerization of monoenes with platinum catalyst was suppressed at 80 psi. The position of the double bonds in unreacted conjugated diene was always retained, except with nickel at both temperatures and with platinum at 150 C when a slight migration occurred. Geometrical isomerization totrans,trans-conjugated diene was observed in the unreacted diene with nickel (ca. 15% of diene) at both 100 C and 195 C, and with platinum (ca. 7% of diene) at 150 C. ARS, USDA.     

Selective hydrogenation of soybean oil: IV. Fatty acid isomers formed with copper catalysts

Two samples of soybean oil hydrogenated with copper-containing catalysts at 170 and 200 C were analyzed for their natural and isomeric fatty acids. Methyl esters of the hydrogenated oils were separated into saturates, monoenes, dienes and trienes by countercurrent distribution between acetonitrile and pentane-hexane. Monoenes were further separated intocis- andtrans-isomers on a silver-saturated resin column. Double bond location in these fractions was determined by a microozonolysis-pyrolysis technique. The diene fraction was separated with an argentation countercurrent distribution method, and linoleate was identified by infrared, ozonolysis and alkaliisomerization data. The double bonds in thecis-monoenes were located in the 9-position almost exclusively. However, the double bonds in thetrans-monoene were quite scattered with 10- and 11-isomers predominating. About 86% to 92% of the dienes consisted of linoleate as measured by alkali isomerization. Other isomers identified as minor components includecis,trans andtrans, trans conjugated dienes and dienes whose double bonds are separated by more than one methylene group. No. Utiliz. Res. Dev. Div., ARS, USDA.     

Homogeneous catalytic hydrogenation of unsaturated fats: Iron Pentacarbonyl

Iron pentacarbonyl is an effective homogeneous catalyst for the reduction of polyunsaturated fats. Hydrogenation of soybean oil and its methyl esters has been achieved at 180C, hydrogen pressures of 100-1,000 psi, and 0.05–0.5 molar concentrations of catalyst. Analyses of partially reduced products show considerable isomerization of double bonds, reduction of linolenate and linoleate with little or no increase in stearate, and accumulation ofcis,trans- andtrans, trans-conjugated dienes, and isolatedtrans monoenes. The unreduced trienes include diene conjugated fatty esters. The nonconjugated dienes contain large amounts oftrans and nonalkali conjugatable unsaturation. Considerable scattering of double bonds is evident in different fractions between the C₄ and C₁₆ positions. Complex formation between iron carbonyl and unsaturated fats is also indicated. The course of the homogeneous hydrogenation catalyzed by iron pentacarbonyl appears similar to the heterogeneous catalytic reaction. Metal carbonyls are well known for their isomerizing effects and their ability to form stable complexes with olefins. These homogeneous complexes provide suitable model systems to study the mechanism of catalytic hydrogenation of fats.     

Selective hydrogenation with copper catalysts: I. Isolation and identification of isomers formed during hydrogenation of linolenate

Methyl linolenate was hydrogenated with 10% copper chromite catalyst at 150 C and atmospheric hydrogen pressure. The product was separated into monoene, diene and triene fractions by countercurrent distribution. These fractions were further separated into various geometrical isomers. The double bond location in the various fractions was determined by reductive ozonolysis. Double bonds in bothcis andtrans monoene fractions, as well as incis,trans andtrans,trans conjugated dienes, were extensively isomerized. A monoene containing vinylic unsaturation was one of the major products. The nonconjugated dienes were mostly dienes whose double bonds were widely separated. Results are explained on the basis of conjugation of the double bonds in linolenate followed by hydrogen addition. 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.     

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.     

Flavor and oxidative stability of continuously hydrogenated soybean oils

Soybean oil was partially hydrogenated in a continuous system with copper and nickel catalysts. The hydrogenated products were evaluated for flavor and oxidative stability. Processing conditions were varied to produce oils of linolenate contents between 0.4 and 2.7%, as follows: oil flow, 0.6–2.2 liters/hr; reaction temperature, 180–220 C; hydrogen pressure, 100–525 psig, and catalyst concentration, 0.5–1% copper catalyst or 0.1% nickel catalyst.Trans unsaturation varied from 8 to 20% with copper catalyst and from 15.0 to 27% with nickel catalyst. Linolenate selectivity was 9 with copper catalyst and 2 with nickel catalyst. Flavor evaluation of finished oils containing 0.01% citric acid (CA), appraised initially and after accelerated storage at 60 C, showed no significant difference between hydrogenated oils and nonhydrogenated oil. However, peroxide values and oxidative stability showed that hydrogenated oils were more stable than the unhydrogenated oil. CA+TBHQ (tertiary butylhydroquinone) significantly improved the oxidative stability of test oils over oils with CA only, but flavor scores showed no improvement. Dimethylpolysiloxane (MS) had no effect on either flavor or oxidative stability of the oils.     

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.     

Selective conjugation of soybean esters to increase hydrogenation selectivity

Polyunsaturated fatty acid methyl esters of soybean oil (MeSBO) were selectively conjugated as a means of increasing the linolenate selectivity of various homogeneous and heterogeneous hydrogenation catalysts. Kinetics of the conjugation reaction in various solvents indicated that linolenate conjugated 5–8 times faster than linoleate. Selective conjugation of MeSBO with potassiumt-butoxide in dipolar solvents resulted in an increase in linolenate hydrogenation selectivity to 7–8 with Ni and Pd heterogeneous catalysts, and to 7–10 with homogeneous and heterogeneous chromium carbonyl catalysts.Trans-unsaturation in the hydrogenated products was only 1–3% with the chromium carbonyl catalysts, in contrast to 30–39% with the heterogeneous metal catalysts. Triglycerides were readily converted to partial glycerides andt-butyl esters with the potassiumt-butoxide reagent. Presented at the AOCS North Central Section Symposium, March 1980.     

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.     

Studies on castor oil. I. Fatty acid composition of castor oil

Summary Methyl esters of castor oil were prepared by saponifying the oil with potassium hydroxide in methanol, splitting the potassium soapsin situ with an excess of hydrochloric acid, and esterifying at room temperature. The esters had hydroxyl values comparable with those of the parent oils. The methyl esters were quantitatively resolved into hydroxy and nonhydroxy esters after reacting with succinic anhydride in toluene. The composition of castor oil was calculated from a) amount of nonhydroxy esters, b) methyl linoleate content of methyl esters determined spectro-photometrically, c) iodine value of the methyl esters determined by the Wijs method at 15–20°C., and d) iodine value of the nonhydroxy esters determined by the Woburn method. This composition was confirmed by the estimation of saturated acids in one sample and dihydroxystearic acid in all. Castor oil was readly hydrogenated with Raney nickel in alcohol at room temperature (30–33°C.) without any hydrogenolysis of the hydroxyl groups. Methyl dihydroxystearate content of the methyl esters of this hydrogenated oil was determined by reaction with 80–100% excess periodic acid at 15–20°C. Part of a thesis submitted for the Ph.D. degree to the University of Bombay.     

Hydrogenation of linolenate. I. Fractionation and characterization studies

Methyl linolenate hydrogenated at 140°C, with 0.5% Ni catalyst and 1.1 mole of hydrogen at atmospheric pressure was separated into octadecenoate, octadecadienoate, and octadecatrienoate fractions by countercurrent distribution. Gas chromatography on a 200-ft. capillary Apiezon L column revealed one component in the triene fraction, four in the diene fraction, and nine in the monoene fraction. These components were partially fractionated by low-temperature crystallization, and their solubilities were correlated with alkali conjugation results, with infrared data forcis andtrans configuration of bonds and with dibasic acids isolated from the fractions after oxidative cleavage. Approximately 45% oftrans acids were present in both the monoene and diene fractions. Considerable migration of double bonds from the original 9, 12, and 15 positions occurred.Cis,cis dienes which could not be conjugated by alkali were formed. Little alteration of the residual methyl linolenate was observed. The results demonstrate the applicability and utility of new techniques of fractionation and analysis to the study of the hydrogenation mechanism. Presented at 51st annual meeting, American Oil Chemists' Society, Dallas, Tex., April 4–6, 1960. This is a laboratory of the Northern Utilization Research and Development Division, Agricultural Research Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture.     

Analysis of autoxidized fats by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry: III. Methyl linolenate

The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method developed in the preceding papers was extended to the analysis of autoxidation products of methyl linolenate. Four isomeric hydroxy allylic trienes with a conjugated diene system were identified after reduction of the linolenate hydroperoxides. All eight geometrictrans,cis- andtrans, trans-conjugated diene isomers of these hydroxy allylic compounds were identified and partially separated by GC of the trimethylsilyl (TMS) ether derivatives. The proportion found of 9- and 16-hydroperoxides was significantly higher (75–81%) than the 12- and 13-hydroperoxides (18–25%). The tendency of the 12- and 13-hydroperoxides to form cyclic peroxides, cyclic peroxidehydroperoxides, and prostaglandin-like endoperoxides was supported by indirect evidence for the presence of 9,10,12- and 13,15,16-trihydroxyoctadecanoate in hydrogenated derivatives of the highly oxygenated products. The quantitative GC-MS method was used to determine the relative contribution of linolenate, linoleate, and oleate in mixtures to the formation of hydroperoxides. Presented at the AOCS Meeting, New York, May 1977.     

Selective homogeneous hydrogenation of triunsaturated fats catalyzed by tricarbonyl chromium complexes

The need for a selective catalyst to hydrogenate linolenate in soybean oil has prompted our continuing study of various model triunsaturated fats. Hydrogenation of methylβ-eleostearate (methyltrans,trans,trans-9,11,13-octadecatrienoate) with Cr(CO)₃ complexes yielded diene products expected from 1,4-addition (trans-9,cis-12- andcis-10,trans-13-octadecadienoates). Withα-eleostearate (cis,trans,trans-9,11,13-octadecatrienoate), stereoselective 1,4-reduction of thetrans,trans-diene portion yielded linoleate (cis,cis-9,12-octadecadienoate). However,cis,trans-1,4-dienes were also formed from the apparent isomerization ofα- toβ-eleostearate. Hydrogenation of methyl linolenate (methylcis,cis,cis-9,12,15-octadecatrienoate) produced a mixture of isomeric dienes and monoenes attributed to conjugation occurring as an intermediate step. The hydrogenation ofα-eleostearin in tung oil was more stereoselective in forming thecis,cis-diene than the corresponding methyl ester. Hydrogenation of linseed oil yielded a mixture of dienes and monoenes containing 7%trans unsaturation. We have suggested how the mechanism of stereoselective hydrogenation with Cr(CO)₃ catalysts can be applied to the problem of selective hydrogenation of linolenate in soybean oil. No. Market. Nutr. Res. Div., ARS, USDA.