Glycerolysis

Not to be confused with Glycolysis.

In organic chemistry glycerolysis refers to any process in which chemical bonds are broken via a reaction with glycerol. The term refers almost exclusively to the transesterification reaction of glycerol with triglycerides (fats/oils) to form mixtures of monoglycerides and diglycerides. These find a variety of uses; as food emulsifiers (e.g. E471), 'low fat' cooking oils (e.g. diacylglycerol oil) and surfactants (such as monolaurin).

Diagram showing glycerol (1) and all the possible acetate esters of glycerol (2-6)

The transesterification process gives a complex mixture of products, however not all of these are of equivalent use.^[1] This has led to the development of optimized processes able to produce better defined products; in particular by using enzymes,^[2] reactions in supercritical carbon dioxide and flow chemistry.^[3] The production of diglycerides (often called diacylglycerols or DAGs) have been investigated extensively due to their use in foods, with total annual sales of approximately US$200 million in Japan since its introduction in the late 1990s until 2009.^[2][4]

See also

• Hydrolysis
• Saponification
• Transesterification