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

Abstract

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.

Abstract

This Review summarizes the use of oils and fats as a renewable raw material by covering novel examples, such as selective oxidation or cleavage of C–C double bonds in fatty acids, isomerizing hydroformylation and alkoxycarbonylation, and the use of these renewables for polymer chemistry. Further topics include biocatalysis, the optimization of microorganisms by metabolic engineering, and the generation of new oil qualities in existing crop plants.