Abstract

A comprehensive review of the reports in the literature concerning conjugation of polyunsaturated acid and their esters (vegetable oils such as: linseed oil, sunflower oils, rape oil, soybean oil; linoleic acid, methyl linoleate etc.) catalyzed by supported transition metals and their complexes is presented. The following issues are analyzed: chemo-, regio-, and stereoselectivity of the double bond migration in polyenes, mechanism of conjugation and accompanying isomerization process, hydrogenation and E-Z isomerization, stability of homo- and heterogenous catalysts, removal of catalysts from the post-reaction mixture, and possibility of catalysts recycling.

Keywords: Polyunsaturated Acids, Transition Metals, vegetable oils, linseed oil, sunflower oils, rape oil, hydrogenation, E-Z isomerization