Layered double hydroxides for the catalytic isomerization of linoleic acid to conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs)

Abstract

Several hydrotalcite-type compounds with different divalent (Mg2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, Zn2+) and trivalent (Al3+, Cr3+) cations and different ratio compositions were tested for the isomerization of linoleic acid in order to study their role on the obtention of specific conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) with anticarcinogenic and nutritional properties. This is a complex reaction due to the high number of possible isomers of linoleic acid together with the significant competition of the isomerization reaction with other secondary undesired reactions. All catalysts showed very high conversions of linoleic acid, but condensation products were mainly obtained, especially for the hydrotalcite-type compounds with higher Mg/Al ratios due to their higher Brønsted basicity and for the catalysts with higher Ni2+ content or with the presence of Cu2+, Zn2+ in the layers because of the influence of the higher acidity of these cations on the Brønsted basicity of the hydroxides. The best results were achieved for the catalysts with Mg/Al ratio around 2.5–3, resulting in 29–38% of selectivity to the identified CLAs.