Cover Picture: Catalytic Production of Conjugated Fatty Acids and Oils / Design of Ru-Zeolites for Hydrogen-Free Production of Conjugated Linoleic Acids (ChemSusChem 6/2011)

Abstract

The cover picture illustrates the conjugation of oils rich in linoleic acid, such as safflower oil. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and conjugated oils are excellent drying agents in products such as paints, varnishes, and inks because of their highly reactive double bonds, while they recently have also gained attention as building blocks of bioplastics. An extensive Review on the production of CLAs according to various bio-, chemo-, and photocatalytic routes is presented by Bert Sels and co-workers on p. 684. In comparison to the state-of-the-art, the same group reports the development of a very active and selective heterogeneous catalytic system, which can be used in a hydrogen-free environment, in a Full Paper by Philippaerts et al. on p. 757. The solid catalyst contains Cs cations and ultrasmall Ru clusters in the open pore structure of a highly siliceous USY zeolite.