A transesterificação de óleos vegetais com metanol, bem como as principais aplicações de ésteres metílicos de ácidos graxos, são revisadas. São descritos os aspectos gerais desse processo e a aplicabilidade de diferentes tipos de catalisadores (ácidos, hidróxidos, alcóxidos e carbonatos de metais alcalinos, enzimas e bases não-iônicas, como aminas, amidinas, guanidinas e triamino(imino)fosforanos). Enfoque especial é dado às guanidinas, que podem ser facilmente heterogeneizadas em polímeros orgânicos. No entanto, as bases ancoradas lixiviam dos polímeros. Novas estratégias para a obtenção de guanidinas heterogeneizadas mais resistentes à lixiviação são propostas. Finalmente, são descritas várias aplicações para ésteres de ácidos graxos, obtidos por transesterificação de óleos vegetais.The transesterification of vegetable oils with methanol as well as the main uses of the fatty acid methyl esters are reviewed. The general aspects of this process and the applicability of different types of catalysts (acids, alkaline metal hydroxides, alkoxides and carbonates, enzymes and non-ionic bases, such as amines, amidines, guanidines and triamino(imino)phosphoranes) are described. Special attention is given to guanidines, which can be easily heterogenized on organic polymers. However, the anchored catalysts show leaching problems. New strategies to obtain non-leaching guanidine-containing catalysts are proposed. Finally, several applications of fatty acid esters, obtained by transesterification of vegetable oils, are described.

His research interests are mainly concerned with the application of catalytic methods, in particular catalytic oxidations using homogeneous, heterogeneous and biocatalysts, in organic synthesis. He is the author/ editor of several books on the subject of catalysis, notably "Metal Catalyzed Oxidations of Organic Compounds" which he coauthored with Jay Kochi.

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The formation of fatty acid methyl esters by transesterification with methanol can be monitored by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; this accurate determination is simpler than chromatographic methods. JAOCS72, 1239-1241 (1995).