Use of Glycerol Carbonate in an Efficient, One‐Pot and Solvent Free Synthesis of 1,3‐sn‐Diglycerides

Abstract

AbstractAn efficient solvent‐free synthesis of a variety of highly pure 1,3‐sn‐diglycerides (1,3‐sn‐diacylglycerols) in a two‐step one pot process is described. Heating glycerol carbonate (4‐hydroxymethyl‐1,3‐dioxolan‐2‐one) with fatty acid anhydrides 2a–d affords 1:1 mixtures of glycerol carbonate fatty esters 3a–3d and the corresponding fatty acids. Further heating the reaction mixtures in the presence of catalytic amounts of 1,4‐diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) at 195–200 °C yields highly pure 1,3‐sn‐diglycerides 4a–4d.