Green synthesis of high-value fatty acid homologues from food-derived precursors: A sustainable approach to nervonic acid production

• Eco-friendly method converts food fatty acids to high-value (n+2) homologues. • H 2 O 2 /Fe catalysis elongates chains, mimicking natural pathways. • Nervonic acid synthesized from erucic acid, enabling gram-scale production. • Valorization of low-cost lipids for nutraceuticals and functional foods. Fatty acids with even-numbered carbon chains are abundant in foods, yet their nutritional and economic values differ vastly depending on chain length and unsaturation. A striking example is the price disparity between nervonic acid (24:1)—a neuroprotective fatty acid—and its precursor, erucic acid (22:1), a common component of rapeseed oil; the former commands a price over 3,700 times that of the latter. However, the conventional chemical synthesis of such high-value fatty acids is often a multi-step process that employs hazardous reagents, which limits its application in the food and nutraceutical industries. Herein, we report an eco-friendly and efficient two-step method to convert abundant food-derived fatty acids (e.g., erucic acid, oleic acid) into their (n+2) homologue esters using hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and iron catalysis. This approach mimics natural fatty acid elongation pathways while avoiding toxic reagents. A series of saturated, branched, and unsaturated fatty acids were successfully transformed into elongated chains with yields up to 88%. Notably, nervonic acid was synthesized from erucic acid in 61% yield, offering a scalable route to this precious nutraceutical. This study provides a sustainable strategy for valorizing low-cost food lipids into high-value functional ingredients, with potential applications in fortified foods, dietary supplements, and specialty oils.

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