Solid Acid Catalysts: New Routes to Food Additives and Antibacterials

Mixt. of mono- and di-glycerides can be obtained in the presence of solid acid catalysts starting from fatty acids and even in one single step starting from a residue of the edible oil industry, namely a mixt. of free fatty acids and triglycerides. This is due to the Lewis acidity of amorphous solid catalysts promoting both the esterification of fatty acids and the transesterification of triglycerides. Selectivity to monoglycerides can be very high particularly in the case of butyric acid ones, useful as antibacterial and antiviral agents.