Hydroformylation of unsaturated fatty esters

Unsaturated fatty esters and vegetable oils were hydroformylated with H₂ and CO (3500–4600 psi) and Co₂(CO)₈ to give fatty aldehydes at 100–110 C and fatty alcohols at 175–190 C. Yields of distillable C₁₉ oxo products varied from 42% to 84%. Distilled products contained from 50% to 90% branched isomers and from 4% to 16% linear isomers. The proportion of linear isomers increased at higher reaction temperatures and in the presence of tributylphosphine-cobalt carbonyl complex. Linear and branched hydroxy products were separated by silicic acid column, thin-layer, and gas-liquid chromatography. The linear hydroxy product (from oleate and linoleate) was identified as methyl 19-hydroxynonadecanoate by nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry. Isomeric branched products were analyzed by mass spectrometry as the diester derivatives. They were identified as a mixture of 5- to 13-carbomethoxy methyl octadecanoate. Presented at the AOCS-AACC Joint Meeting, Washington, D.C., March 1968. No. Utiliz. Res. Dev. Div., ARS, USDA. Bureau of Mines, U.S. Dept. of Interior.