Elaidinization is any chemical reaction which convert a cis- olefin to a trans- olefin in unsaturated

fatty acid In chemistry, particularly in biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with an aliphatic chain, which is either saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have an unbranched chain of an even number of carbon atoms, ...

s. This is often performed on fats and oils to increase both the melting point and the shelf life without reducing the degree of unsaturation. The term originates from

elaidic acid Elaidic acid is a chemical compound with the formula , specifically the fatty acid with structural formula HO(O=)C–(CH2–)7CH=CH–(CH2–)8H, with the double bond (between carbon atoms 9 and 10) in ''trans'' configuration. It is a colorle ...

, the trans-isomer of

oleic acid Oleic acid is a fatty acid that occurs naturally in various animal and vegetable fats and oils. It is an odorless, colorless oil, although commercial samples may be yellowish. In chemical terms, oleic acid is classified as a monounsaturated omeg ...

Reaction

Elaidinization of oleic acid, a common component of vegetable oils, yields its trans-isomer

References

{{Reflist Organic reactions