Effects of Catalyst Type and Reaction Parameters on One-Step Acrylation of Soybean Oil

Unlike the conventional synthesis of acrylated soybean oil (ASO) that usually involved several steps, a novel one-step reaction synthesis of ASO was introduced in this study. ASO was prepared directly from the addition reaction of soybean oil (SO) and acrylic acid (AA). Effects of catalyst type, reaction stoichiometry, and conditions of the one-step synthesis of ASO were investigated in detail. The products were characterized using H-1 NMR, C-13 NMR, and FTIR BF3.Et2O was found to be the most effective catalyst for this addition reaction. The results indicated that high catalyst and AA concentrations greatly increased the conversion to ASO and accelerated the reaction. Side reactions, such as polymerization of AA and transesterification between triglycerides and AA, were also noted during the reaction and were examined using H-1 NMR The feasibility of recovering and reusing the catalyst and excess AA was evaluated.