The improved synthesis of carbonated soybean oil using supercritical carbon dioxide at a reduced reaction time

Abstract

We have demonstrated an improved synthesis of a cyclic carbonate of soybean oil (CSO) utilizing supercritical carbon dioxide (CO₂) as the solvent. Because the mutual solubility of supercritical CO₂ and soybean oil is significantly higher than that of gaseous CO₂ and soybean oil, our method synthesizes the material in ∼1/3 of the reaction time reported in the literature. We have also demonstrated a catalyst removal method for our system based on the simple Hofmann elimination reaction, reducing the need for organic solvent extraction. CSO is a potential petroleum replacement, and may be useful in the synthesis of polymers based on bio-resources.