New Syntheses with Oils and Fats as Renewable Raw Materials for the Chemical Industry

Biobased Transesterification Vitrimers

The rapid increase in the use of plastics and the related sustainability issues, including the depletion of global petroleum reserves, have rightly sparked interest in the use of biobased polymer feedstocks. Thermosets cannot be remolded, processed, or recycled, and hence cannot be reused because of their permanent molecular architecture. Vitrimers have emerged as a novel polymer family capable of bridging the difference between thermoplastic and thermosets. Vitrimers enable unique recycling strategies, however, it is still important to understand where the raw material feedstocks originate from. Transesterification vitrimers derived from renewable resources are a massive opportunity, however, limited research has been conducted in this specific family of vitrimers. This review article provides a comprehensive overview of transesterification vitrimers produced from biobased monomers. The focus is on the biomass structural suitability with dynamic covalent chemistry, as well as the viability of the synthetic methods.

Synthesis of a branched surfactant from the castor derivative and its surface properties

A new class of ricinoleic acid-derived branched surfactant with a Y-shaped structure (ethoxylated monohydroxy stearic acid methyl ester, 12-HMEE_n) was synthesized and characterized by introducing a polyoxyethylene head group in the hydroxyl position inside the molecule. The physicochemical properties and surface activities of 12-HMEE_n with different degrees of ethoxylation at various concentrations were studied. The typical Y-shaped structure of the molecule facilitates its adsorption at the interface, which provides an excellent surface activity and affects its surfactant properties significantly. The dynamic contact angle, wettability, foaming properties, and compatibility tests of 12-HMEE_n showed that it has good wetting performance, low foaming and fast defoaming properties, and good compatibility in formulation applications, indicating that the surfactant has potential application in industrial cleaning.

Hybrid emulsifier systems: Alkyl imidazolium lactoside surfactants derived from natural resources

A new series of hybrid surfactants comprising an imidazolium as a cation and a disaccharide as a non-ion were synthesized, and their aggregation behavior was also investigated. The synthetic approach used alkylation as an easily accessible route on an imidazole to attempt an economic production followed by coupling with bromoethyl lactoside to form lacto-imidazolium salts surfactants. The coupled surfactants were obtained in almost quantitative yield over several steps. The surfactant surface properties in aqueous media were investigated, including critical micelle concentration (CMC), Krafft temperature, and emulsion stability were studied. The CMC measurements of the alkyl imidazolium lactoside surfactants are significantly lower than normal imidazolium surfactants, while the emulsion investigations encourage the use of alkyl imidazolium lactoside surfactants owing to stabilized assemble behavior as good as APGs.

Physicochemical Characterization of Novel Epoxidized Vegetable Oil from Chia Seed Oil

In this study, a novel epoxidized vegetable oil (EVO) from chia seed oil (CSO) has been obtained, with the aim to be employed in a great variety of green products related to the polymeric industry, as plasticizers and compatibilizers. Previous to the epoxidation process characterization, the fatty acid (FA) composition of CSO was analyzed using gas chromatography (GC). Epoxidation of CSO has been performed using peracetic acid formed in situ with hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid, applying sulfuric acid as catalyst. The effects of key parameters as temperature (60, 70, and 75 °C), the molar ratio of hydrogen peroxide:double bond (H2O2:DB) (0.75:1.0 and 1.50:1.0), and reaction time (0-8 h) were evaluated to obtain the highest relative oxirane oxygen yield (Yoo). The evaluation of the epoxidation process was carried out through iodine value (IV), oxirane oxygen content (Oo), epoxy equivalent weight (EEW), and selectivity (S). The main functional groups were identified by means of FTIR and 1H NMR spectroscopy. Physical properties were compared in the different assays. The study of different parameters showed that the best epoxidation conditions were carried out at 75 °C and H2O2:DB (1.50:1), obtaining an Oo value of 8.26% and an EEW of 193 (g·eq-1). These high values, even higher than those obtained for commercial epoxidized oils such as soybean or linseed oil, show the potential of the chemical modification of chia seed oil to be used in the development of biopolymers.

General, Metal-free Synthesis of Carbon Nanofiber Assemblies from Plant Oils

We designed a metal-free synthesis of carbon nanofiber based on ketene chemistry using phosphorus pentoxide (P2 O5 ) and vegetable oil. Based on the characterization of intermediates, P2 O5 -oil reaction yielded most possibly alkylketenes, which polymerized into poly(ketene) with abundant enol groups. The enol groups further reacted with P2 O5 , forcing the poly(ketene) to assemble into a nano-sized preassembly structure. Moderate heating transforms these structures into carbonaceaus nanofibers. This approach is applicable to other chemicals with similar structure to vegetable oil. The carbon nanofibers with P-O-C functionalization show relatively high graphitization degree and promising textural properties. The C-O-P environment accounts for 66 at % of the total P and creates a superior thermal stability. As a model application, a CDI system built of a carbon-nanofiber-based electrode countered by an activated carbon-based electrode exhibited exceptional performance.

Fatty Acids and their Derivatives as Renewable Platform Molecules for the Chemical Industry

Oils and fats of vegetable and animal origin remain an important renewable feedstock for the chemical industry. Their industrial use has increased during the last 10 years from 31 to 51 million tonnes annually. Remarkable achievements made in the field of oleochemistry in this timeframe are summarized herein, including the reduction of fatty esters to ethers, the selective oxidation and oxidative cleavage of C-C double bonds, the synthesis of alkyl-branched fatty compounds, the isomerizing hydroformylation and alkoxycarbonylation, and olefin metathesis. The use of oleochemicals for the synthesis of a great variety of polymeric materials has increased tremendously, too. In addition to lipases and phospholipases, other enzymes have found their way into biocatalytic oleochemistry. Important achievements have also generated new oil qualities in existing crop plants or by using microorganisms optimized by metabolic engineering.

New horizons for catalysis disclosed by supramolecular chemistry

The adoption of a supramolecular approach in catalysis promises to address a number of unmet challenges, ranging from activity (unlocking of novel reaction pathways) to selectivity (alteration of the innate selectivity of a reaction, e.g. selective functionalization of C-H bonds) and regulation (switch ON/OFF, sequential catalysis, etc.). Supramolecular tools such as reversible association and recognition, pre-organization of reactants and stabilization of transition states upon binding offer a unique chance to achieve the above goals disclosing new horizons whose potential is being increasingly recognized and used, sometimes reaching the degree of ripeness for practical use. This review summarizes the main developments that have opened such new frontiers, with the aim of providing a guide to researchers approaching the field. We focus on artificial supramolecular catalysts of defined stoichiometry which, under homogeneous conditions, unlock outcomes that are highly difficult if not impossible to attain otherwise, namely unnatural reactivity or selectivity and catalysis regulation. The different strategies recently explored in supramolecular catalysis are concisely presented, and, for each one, a single or very few examples is/are described (mainly last 10 years, with only milestone older works discussed). The subject is divided into four sections in light of the key design principle: (i) nanoconfinement of reactants, (ii) recognition-driven catalysis, (iii) catalysis regulation by molecular machines and (iv) processive catalysis.

The Oxidative Cleavage of 9,10-Dihydroxystearic Triglyceride with Oxygen and Cu Oxide-based Heterogeneous Catalysts

This paper deals with a new heterogeneous catalyst for the second step in the two-step oxidative cleavage of unsaturated fatty acids triglycerides derived from vegetable oil, a reaction aimed at the synthesis of azelaic and pelargonic acids. The former compound is a bio-monomer for the synthesis of polyesters; the latter, after esterification, is used in cosmetics and agrochemicals. The reaction studied offers an alternative to the currently used ozonization process, which has severe drawbacks in terms of safety and energy consumption. The cleavage was carried out with oxygen, starting from the glycol (dihydroxystearic acid triglyceride), the latter obtained by the dihydroxylation of oleic acid triglyceride. The catalysts used were based on Cu²⁺ , in the form of either an alumina-supported oxide or a mixed, spinel-type oxide. The CuO/Al₂ O₃ catalyst could be recovered, regenerated, and recycled, yielding promising results for further industrial exploitation.

The Prospering of Macromolecular Materials Based on Plant Oils within the Blooming Field of Polymers from Renewable Resources

This paper provides an overview of the recent progress in research and development dealing with polymers derived from plant oils. It highlights the widening interest in novel approaches to the synthesis, characterization, and properties of these materials from renewable resources and emphasizes their growing impact on sustainable macromolecular science and technology. The monomers used include unmodified triglycerides, their fatty acids or the corresponding esters, and chemically modified triglycerides and fatty acid esters. Comonomers include styrene, divinylbenzene, acrylics, furan derivatives, epoxides, etc. The synthetic pathways adopted for the preparation of these materials are very varied, going from traditional free radical and cationic polymerizations to polycondensation reactions, as well as metatheses and Diels-Alder syntheses. In addition to this general appraisal, the specific topic of the use of tung oil as a source of original polymers, copolymers, and (nano)composites is discussed in greater detail in terms of mechanisms, structures, properties, and possible applications.

Biobased Aldehydes from Fatty Epoxides through Thermal Cleavage of β-Hydroxy Hydroperoxides*

The ring-opening of epoxidized methyl oleate by aqueous H₂ O₂ has been studied using tungsten and molybdenum catalysts to form the corresponding fatty β-hydroxy hydroperoxides. It was found that tungstic acid and phosphotungstic acid gave the highest selectivities (92-93 %) towards the formation of the desired products, thus limiting the formation of the corresponding fatty 1,2-diols. The optimized conditions were applied to a range of fatty epoxides to give the corresponding fatty β-hydroxy hydroperoxides with 30-80 % isolated yields (8 examples). These species were fully characterized by ¹ H and ¹³ C NMR spectroscopy and HPLC-HRMS, and their stability was studied by differential scanning calorimetry. The thermal cleavage of the β-hydroxy hydroperoxide derived from methyl oleate was studied both in batch and flow conditions. It was found that the thermal cleavage in flow conditions gave the highest selectivity towards the formation of aldehydes with limited amounts of byproducts. The aldehydes were both formed with 68 % GC yield, and nonanal and methyl 9-oxononanoate were isolated with 57 and 55 % yield, respectively. Advantageously, the overall process does not require large excess of H₂ O₂ and only generates water as a byproduct.

Discovery and Engineering of a Novel Baeyer-Villiger Monooxygenase with High Normal Regioselectivity

Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenases (BVMOs) are remarkable biocatalysts for the Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of ketones to generate esters or lactones. The regioselectivity of BVMOs is essential for determining the ratio of the two regioisomeric products ("normal" and "abnormal") when catalyzing asymmetric ketone substrates. Starting from a known normal-preferring BVMO sequence from Pseudomonas putida KT2440 (PpBVMO), a novel BVMO from Gordonia sihwensis (GsBVMO) with higher normal regioselectivity (up to 97/3) was identified. Furthermore, protein engineering increased the specificity constant (k_cat /K_M ) 8.9-fold to 484 s^-1  mM^-1 for 10-ketostearic acid derived from oleic acid. Consequently, by using the variant GsBVMO_C308L as an efficient biocatalyst, 10-ketostearic acid was efficiently transformed into 9-(nonanoyloxy)nonanoic acid, with a space-time yield of 60.5 g L^-1  d^-1 . This study showed that the mutant with higher regioselectivity and catalytic efficiency could be applied to prepare medium-chain ω-hydroxy fatty acids through biotransformation of long-chain aliphatic keto acids derived from renewable plant oils.

Improving thermal and mechanical properties of biomass-based polymers using structurally ordered polyesters from ricinoleic acid and 4-hydroxycinnamic acids

Biomass-based copolymers with alternating ricinoleic acid and 4-hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives (p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and sinapinic acid) exhibit a repeating structure based on soft and hard segments, derived from ricinoleic and 4-hydroxycinnamic acids, respectively. To achieve this alternating sequence, copolymers were synthesised by the self-condensation of hetero-dimeric monomers derived by the pre-coupling of methyl ricinolate and 4-hydroxycinnamic acid. The glass transition temperature (T_g) was observed to increase as the number of methoxy groups on the main chain increased; the T_g values of poly(coumaric acid-alt-ricinoleic acid), poly(ferulic acid-alt-ricinoleic acid), and poly(sinapinic acid-alt-ricinoleic acid) are −15 °C, −4 °C, and 24 °C respectively, 58 °C, 69 °C, and 97 °C higher than that of poly(ricinoleic acid). The polymers were processed into highly flexible, visually transparent films. Among them, poly(sinapinic acid-alt-ricinoleic acid) bearing two methoxy groups on each cinnamoyl unit, is mechanically the strongest polymer, with an elastic modulus of 126.5 MPa and a tensile strength at break of 15.47 MPa.

The synthesis of structurally ordered polyesters derived from ricinoleic acid and 4-hydroxycinnamic acids improves the thermal and mechanical properties.

Sustainable Series of New Epoxidized Vegetable Oil-Based Thermosets with Chemical Recycling Properties

This work reports for the first time the copolymerization studies of 11 newly synthesized epoxidized vegetable oils (EVOs) that reacted with a disulfide-based aromatic dicarboxylic acid (DCA) to produce thermoset materials with recyclability properties. These new EVOs' reactivity and properties were compared with those of the two commercial references: epoxidized linseed oil (ELO) and epoxidized soybean oil (ESO). The structure-reactivity correlation is proposed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis, corroborating the epoxy content of EVO monomers, the initiator effect, the copolymerization reaction enthalpy, and the temperature range. The thermomechanical properties of the obtained thermosets were evaluated and discussed in correlation with the structure and reactivity of monomers by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), tensile testing, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). It has been found that the higher the EVO functionality, the higher is the reactivity, cross-linking density, and final performances, with tan δ values ranging from 34 to 111 °C. This study investigates the chemical recycling and the solvent resistance of these vitrimer-like materials that have a high bio-based carbon content, from 58 to 79%, with potential application in coating or composite materials in the automotive sector.

Enhanced Interface Adhesion by Novel Eco-Epoxy Adhesives Based on the Modified Tannic Acid on Al and CFRP Adherends

This paper presents a new process for obtaining eco-epoxide adhesives synthesized from bio-renewable raw material (tannic acid—TA) and used for bonding lightweight materials (aluminum (Al) and carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP)). Two synthesized bio-epoxy components based on TA, (A) glycidyl ether and (B) glycidyl phosphate ester of TA, were used as a replacement for the toxic epoxy component based on Bisphenol A. The effect of eco-epoxy components on the interface adhesion was measured by the determination of adhesion parameter b, which was compared to the reference epoxy (REF). The increase of adhesion parameter b was 77.5% for A and 151.5% for B. The adhesion of both eco-adhesives was tested using the bell peel test (BPT) with the Al and CFRP adherends. When compared to REF, the average peel load for B was 17.6% (39.3%) and 58.3% (176.9%) higher for the Al and CFRP adherends, respectively. Complete adhesion failure of REF reflected the weak adhesion to both Al and CFRP, which was improved by the addition of eco-epoxy components A and B showing the presence of cohesive failure. The microhardness testing method of interface adhesion was proven to be a fast and reliable testing method, providing a qualitative indication in adhesive selection.

The optimization of heterogeneous catalytic conditions in the direct alkylation of waste vegetable oil

Alkylated waste vegetable oil is a versatile intermediate product in the synthesis of bio-based materials. Heterogeneous catalytic condition with high conversion rate in the direct alkylation of waste vegetable oil was reported and the deactivation mechanism of catalyst was revealed. The total exchange capacity, elemental composition and pyrolysis product of catalyst before and after the alkylation reaction were analysed by back titration, elemental analysis, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, gas chromatography mass spectrometry and pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, respectively. The results indicated that the metallic and non-metallic (C, H) elements contents of the catalyst have very much increased with great changes in pyrolysis product and a slight decrease in the total exchange capacity. The formation of insoluble polymers through Diels-Alder cycloaddition between triglycerides was proved to be the major factor causing the dysfunction of the catalytic centre. The metal ions from corrosion of the reactor were the minor factor causing about 2.56% loss of the catalytic centre. Moreover, the catalyst was able to maintain high catalytic efficiency when replacing the raw materials with other waste vegetable oil having low concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which is significant for producing not only the aryl fatty acids derivatives but also the bio-based surfactants.

Oligomeric ricinoleic acid preparation promoted by an efficient and recoverable Brønsted acidic ionic liquid

Raw material from biomass and green preparation processes are the two key features for the development of green products. As a bio-lubricant in metalworking fluids, estolides of ricinoleic acid are considered as the promising substitute to mineral oil with a favorable viscosity and viscosity index. Thus, an efficient and sustainable synthesis protocol is urgently needed to make the product really green. In this work, an environment-friendly Brønsted acidic ionic liquid (IL) 1-butanesulfonic acid diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene dihydrogen phosphate ([HSO₃-BDBU]H₂PO₄) was developed as the efficient catalyst for the production of oligomeric ricinoleic acid from ricinoleic acid under solvent-free conditions. The reaction parameters containing reaction temperature, vacuum degree, amount of catalyst and reaction time were optimized and it was found that the reaction under the conditions of 190 °C and 50 kPa with 15 wt % of the [HSO₃-BDBU]H₂PO₄ related to ricinoleic acid can afford a qualified product with an acid value of 51 mg KOH/g (which corresponds to the oligomerization degree of 4) after 6 h. Furthermore, the acid value of the product can be adjusted by regulating the reaction time, implying this protocol can serve as a versatile method to prepare the products with different oligomerization degree and different applications. The other merit of this protocol is the facile product separation by stratification and decantation ascribed to the immiscibility of the product and catalyst at room temperature. It is also worth mentioning that the IL catalyst can be used at least for five cycles with high catalytic activity. As a result, the protocol based on the IL catalyst, i.e. [HSO₃-BDBU]H₂PO₄ shows great potential in industrial production of oligomeric ricinoleic acid from ricinoleic acid.

Fungi (Mold)-Based Lipid Production

There is an increasing need for the development of alternative energy sources with a focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and striving toward a sustainable economy. Bioethanol and biodiesel are currently the primary choices of alternative transportation fuels. At present, biodiesel is not competitive with conventional fuel due to its high price, and the only way to compete with conventional fuel is to improve the quality, reduce the costs, and coproduce value-added products. With the high demand for lipids in the energy sector and other industrial applications, microbial lipids accumulated from microorganisms, especially oleaginous fungi and yeasts have been the important topic of many recent research studies. This chapter summarizes the current status of knowledge and technology about lipid production by oleaginous fungi and yeasts for biofuel applications and other value-added products. The chapter focuses on several aspects such as the most promising oleaginous strains, strain development, improvement of lipid production, methods and protocols to cultivate oleaginous fungi, substrate utilization, fermentation process design, and downstream processing. The feasibility and challenges during the large-scale commercial production of microbial lipids as fuel sources are also discussed. It provides an overview of microbial lipid production biorefinery and also future development directions.

Biobased chiral semi-crystalline or amorphous high-performance polyamides and their scalable stereoselective synthesis

The use of renewable feedstock is one of the twelve key principles of sustainable chemistry. Unfortunately, bio-based compounds often suffer from high production cost and low performance. To fully tap the potential of natural compounds it is important to utilize their functionalities that could make them superior compared to fossil-based resources. Here we show the conversion of (+)-3-carene, a by-product of the cellulose industry into ε-lactams from which polyamides. The lactams are selectively prepared in two diastereomeric configurations, leading to semi-crystalline or amorphous, transparent polymers that can compete with the thermal properties of commercial high-performance polyamides. Copolyamides with caprolactam and laurolactam exhibit an increased glass transition and amorphicity compared to the homopolyamides, potentially broadening the scope of standard polyamides. A four-step one-vessel monomer synthesis, applying chemo-enzymatic catalysis for the initial oxidation step, is established. The great potential of the polyamides is outlined.

Making natural products from renewable feedstocks: back to the roots?

This review highlights the utilization of biomass-derived building blocks in the total synthesis of natural products.

Catalytic developments in the epoxidation of vegetable oils and the analysis methods of epoxidized products

Functionalization of vegetable oils (VOs) including edible, non-edible, and waste cooking oil (WCOs) to epoxides (EVOs) is receiving great attention by many researchers from academia and industry because they are renewable, versatile, sustainable, non-toxic, and eco-friendly, and they can partially or totally replace harmful phthalate plasticizers. The epoxidation of VOs on an industrial scale has already been developed by the homogeneous catalytic system using peracids. Due to the drawbacks of this method, other systems including acidic ion exchange resins, polyoxometalates, and enzymes are becoming alternative catalysts for the epoxidation reaction. We have reviewed all these catalytic systems including their benefits and drawbacks, reaction mechanisms, intensification of each system in different ways as well as the physicochemical properties of VOs and EVOs and new findings in recent years. Finally, the current methods including titrimetric methods as well as ATR-FTIR and 1H NMR for determination of conversion, epoxidation, and selectivity of epoxidized vegetable oils (EVOs) are also briefly described.

One-Pot Solvent-Free Synthesis of N,N-Bis(2-Hydroxyethyl) Alkylamide from Triglycerides Using Zinc-Doped Calcium Oxide Nanospheroids as a Heterogeneous Catalyst

N,N-Bis(2-hydroxyethyl) alkylamide or fatty acid diethanolamides (FADs) were prepared from a variety of triglycerides using diethanolamine in the presence of different transition metal-doped CaO nanocrystalline heterogeneous catalysts. The Zn-doped Cao nanospheroids were found to be the most efficient heterogeneous catalyst, with complete conversion of natural triglycerides to fatty acid diethanolamide in 30 min at 90 °C. The Zn/CaO nanoparticles were recyclable for up to six reaction cycles and showed complete conversion even at room temperature. The amidation reaction of natural triglycerides was found to follow the pseudo-first-order kinetic model, and the first-order rate constant was calculated as 0.171 min–1 for jatropha oil aminolysis. The activation energy (Ea) and pre-exponential factor (A) for the same reaction were found to be 47.8 kJ mol–1 and 4.75 X 108 min-1, respectively.

Development, influencing parameters and interactions of bioplasticizers: An environmentally friendlier alternative to petro industry-based sources

The current industrial revolution emphasized the necessity to use environmentally friendlier sources and strategies to meet the bio-based economy challenges of the modern world. Owing to the finiteness, human health and environmental impacts of fossil resources, current research efforts are switched to search and develop renewable, sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives of commercial plasticizers to meet the green agenda to establish a green society. The substitution of petroleum-based plasticizers with bioplasticizers offers noteworthy advantages, such as recyclability, biodegradability, high lubricant power, low diffusion coefficients in the polymeric matrix and very low volatility. Moreover, bioplasticizers provide the most suitable platform due to their global availability and industrially-relevant applications. Numerous parameters such as solubility, polarity, and structural compatibility are considered important and can influence the designing of efficient plasticizers. In this context, a plethora of research has given their structural attributes along with their compatibility with different elastomers and plastics. Herein, the valorization of bioplasticizers in several industrial and biotechnological processes is presented with suitable examples. Additionally, it highlights the insight of selection criteria and generalities concerning plasticization theories. A brief discussion is also given on the mechanism of plasticization and modifications, which are being made in the current industrial practices. The description extends towards the design of effective plasticizers with their dependence on structure and how we can improve their performance to the polymer industry.

Selective Transformations of Triglycerides into Fatty Amines, Amides, and Nitriles by using Heterogeneous Catalysis

The use of triglycerides as an important class of biomass is an effective strategy to realize a more sustainable society. Herein, three heterogeneous catalytic methods are reported for the selective one-pot transformation of triglycerides into value-added chemicals: i) the reductive amination of triglycerides into fatty amines with aqueous NH₃ under H₂ promoted by ZrO₂ -supported Pt clusters; ii) the amidation of triglycerides under gaseous NH₃ catalyzed by high-silica H-beta (Hβ) zeolite at 180 °C; iii) the Hβ-promoted synthesis of nitriles from triglycerides and gaseous NH₃ at 220 °C. These methods are widely applicable to the transformation of various triglycerides (C₄ -C₁₈ skeletons) into the corresponding amines, amides, and nitriles.

Epoxidación enzimática de metil ésteres de ácidos grasos de origen vegetal y sus aplicaciones como alternativa para sustituir a los derivados del petróleo

Recientemente, la modificación de aceites vegetales para obtener ésteres metílicos de ácidos grasos (FAMEs) o biodiesel ha emergido como una alternativa para la sustitución de los derivados del petróleo, esto debido a los problemas ambientales y de salud que genera su uso. Debido a su estructura química es posible epoxidar estas moléculas y usarlas directamente para producir plastificantes o lubricantes. Sin embargo, éstas también pueden ser sujetas a modificaciones para mejorar sus propiedades y el de servir como intermediarias para la síntesis de poliuretanos. Puesto que los métodos convencionales para la producción de epóxidos también son una fuente potencial de contaminación, se ha sugerido el uso de catalizadores enzimáticos como una alternativa sostenible o “Verde” para su preparación, ya que permiten obtener productos con alta pureza y mejores rendimientos. Este artículo presenta una revisión de la literatura disponible centrándose en la epoxidación enzimática de los FAMEs, así como sus principales aplicaciones.

A Novel Strategy for Selective O-Methylation of Glycerol in Subcritical Methanol

A new regioselective approach has been elaborated for the selective conversion of bio-based glycerol into the monomethyl derivative using sub/supercritical methanol. The reaction was realized in a batch process using three reactive components, namely, glycerol, methanol, and potassium carbonate to selectively produce the 3-methoxypropan-1,2-diol in mild yields; the mechanism of the O-methylation has been delineated using labeled methanol and GC-MS experiments.