Methods of making organic compounds by metathesis and hydrocyanation

1. A method of making an organic compound, the method comprising:

(a) providing a starting composition comprising an unsaturated glyceride represented by the formula:

CH 2 A-CHB—CH 2 C

wherein -A, —B, and —C are independently selected from the group consisting of:

—OH;

—O(O)C—(CH 2 ) n2 -[—CH═CH—(CH 2 ) n3 -] x —(CH 2 ) n1 —CH 3 ; and

—O(O)C—R′;

with the proviso that at least one of -A, —B, or —C is

—O(O)C—(CH 2 ) n2 —[—CH═CH—(CH 2 ) n3 -] x —(CH 2 ) n1 —CH 3

and wherein

R′ is a straight or branched chain alkyl or alkenyl group;

n1 is an integer equal to or greater than 0;

n2 is an integer equal to or greater than 0;

n3 is an integer equal to or greater than 0; and

x is an integer equal to or greater than 1;

(b) cross-metathesizing the unsaturated glyceride with a short-chain olefin in the presence of a metathesis catalyst to form cross-metathesis products comprising:

(i) one or more olefin compounds; and

(ii) one or more metathesized unsaturated glycerides,

wherein the short-chain olefin is an α-olefin selected from the group consisting of 1-butene, 1-pentene, 1-hexene, 1-heptene, 1-octene, 1-nonene, and combinations thereof;

(c) separating at least a portion of the one or more metathesized unsaturated glycerides from the cross-metathesis products;

(d) isomerizing the separated one or more metathesized unsaturated glycerides to form one or more isomerized separated metathesized unsaturated glycerides having a terminal olefin; and

(e) catalytically modifying the carbon-carbon double bond of the one or more separated metathesized unsaturated glycerides or the one or more isomerized separated metathesized unsaturated glycerides by hydrocyanation to form a hydrocyanated glyceride.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising one of the steps of (i) reducing the nitrile group of the hydrocyanated glyceride to form an aldehyde group or an alcohol group, (ii) hydrolyzing the nitrile group of the hydrocyanated glyceride to form a carboxylic acid group, or (iii) hydrogenating the nitrile group of the hydrocyanated glyceride to form an amine group.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the starting composition is selected from the group consisting of: soybean oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, sesame oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, safflower oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, linseed oil, castor oil, olive oil, peanut oil, algae oil, tall oil, fish oil, lard, tallow, and combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metathesis catalyst is a ruthenium alkylidene metathesis catalyst.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

n1 is an integer from 0 to 15;

n2 is an integer from 2 to 11;

n3 is an integer from 0 to 6; and

x is an integer from 1 to 6.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein n2 is 7.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein x is 1, n1 is 6, and n3 is 1.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein x is 2, n1 is 3, and n3 is 1.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein x is 3, n1 is 0, and n3 is 1.