Monoacylglycerols Production: Routes and Catalysts [Produ o de Monoacilgliceróis: Rotas e Catalisadores]

The increased consumption of biodiesel in Brazil leads to the need of new uses for by-products generated in its production, such as glycerin. One of the main derivatives of glycerin is its transformation into monoacylglycerols. Monoacylglycerols are basically monoesters composed by fatty acid and glycerol. These compounds are widely used as nonionic surfactants in the pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries, representing about 70 % of all used synthetic emulsifiers. It has been noticed an increasing number of articles about monoacylglycerols and this is an indication that the interest and importance of this class of compounds have been growing over the years. Obtaining monoacylglycerols from triacylglycerols glycerolysis and also from the esterification of fatty acids with glycerol has been under constant study. This article summarizes their main routes of obtaining and mentions some catalysts that have been proposed in the literature. In addition, there are several references of articles and reviews related to the topic