Process for hydrogenation of a glycerol ester

A process for hydrogenation of a glycerol ester, comprising treating a composition which comprises the glycerol ester with a base and a transition metal catalyst in the presence of molecular hydrogen, wherein the base is present in at least 7 wt % based upon the total weight of said composition and wherein the catalyst is present in less than or equal to 0.05 wt % based upon the total weight of said composition, wherein the transition metal catalyst comprises a transition metal that is Ru or Os and a tridentate ligand having a structure of Formula (I):

• wherein:
• X is —SRa, —ORa, —CRa, —NRaRb, —PRaRb, —P(═O)RaRb, —OPRaRb, or —NHPRaRb;
• R1 and Rx are each, independently, hydrogen, substituted C1-20-alkyl, unsubstituted C1-20-alkyl, substituted C2-20-alkenyl, unsubstituted C2-20-alkenyl, substituted C2-20-alkynyl, unsubstituted C2-20-alkynyl, substituted C1-20-heteroalkyl, unsubstituted C1-20-heteroalkyl, substituted C1-20-alkoxy, unsubstituted C1-20-alkoxy, substituted C3-20-cycloalkyl, unsubstituted C3-20-cycloalkyl, substituted C3-20-cycloalkenyl, unsubstituted C3-20-cycloalkenyl, substituted C2-20-heterocycloalkyl, unsubstituted C2-20-heterocycloalkyl, substituted C6-20-aryl, unsubstituted C6-20-aryl, substituted C4-20-heteroaryl, or unsubstituted C4-20-heteroaryl;
• or R1 and one of R3a and R3b or Rx and one of R3a and R3b together with the atoms to which they are bound, form a ring;
• or X is a heteroatom and when taken together with R1 it forms an optionally substituted heterocycle when Rx is absent;
• Y is —SRa, —ORa, —CRa, —NRaRb, —PRaRb, —P(═O)RaRb, —OPRaRb, or —NHPRaRb;
• R2 and Ry are each, independently, hydrogen, substituted C1-20-alkyl, unsubstituted C1-20-alkyl, substituted C2-20-alkenyl, unsubstituted C2-20-alkenyl, substituted C2-20-alkynyl, unsubstituted C2-20-alkynyl, substituted C1-20-heteroalkyl, unsubstituted C1-20-heteroalkyl, substituted C1-20-alkoxy, unsubstituted C1-20-alkoxy, substituted C3-20-cycloalkyl, unsubstituted C3-20-cycloalkyl, substituted C3-20-cycloalkenyl, unsubstituted C3-20-cycloalkenyl, substituted C2-20-heterocycloalkyl, unsubstituted C2-20-heterocycloalkyl, substituted C6-20-aryl, unsubstituted C6-20-aryl, C4-20-heteroaryl substituted, or unsubstituted C4-20-heteroaryl;
• or R2 and one of R4a and R4b or Ry and one of R4a and R4b together with the atoms to which they are bound, form a ring;
• or Y is a heteroatom and when taken together with R2 it forms an optionally substituted heterocycle when Ry is absent;
• R3a, R3b, R4a and R4b are each, independently, hydrogen, substituted C1-20-alkyl, unsubstituted C1-20-alkyl, substituted C2-20-alkenyl, unsubstituted C2-20-alkenyl, substituted C2-20-alkynyl, unsubstituted C2-20-alkynyl, substituted C1-20-heteroalkyl, unsubstituted C1-20-heteroalkyl, substituted C1-20-alkoxy, unsubstituted C1-20-alkoxy, substituted C3-20-cycloalkyl, unsubstituted C3-20-cycloalkyl, substituted C3-20-cycloalkenyl, unsubstituted C3-20-cycloalkenyl, substituted C3-20-cycloalkenyl, unsubstituted C2-20-heterocycloalkyl, substituted C6-20-aryl, unsubstituted C6-20-aryl, substituted C4-20-heteroaryl, or unsubstituted C4-20-heteroaryl;
• or R3a and one of R4a and R4b or R3b and one of R4a and R4b, together with the atoms to which they are bound, form a heterocycle;
• R5 is hydrogen, substituted C1-20-alkyl, unsubstituted C1-20-alkyl, substituted C2-20-alkenyl, unsubstituted C2-20-alkenyl, substituted C2-20-alkynyl, unsubstituted C2-20-alkynyl, substituted C1-20-heteroalkyl, unsubstituted C1-20-heteroalkyl, substituted C1-20-alkoxy, unsubstituted C1-20-alkoxy, substituted C3-20-cycloalkyl, unsubstituted C3-20-cycloalkyl, substituted C3-20-cycloalkenyl, unsubstituted C3-20-cycloalkenyl, substituted C2-20-heterocycloalkyl, unsubstituted C2-20-heterocycloalkyl, substituted C6-20-aryl, unsubstituted C6-20-aryl, substituted C4-20-heteroaryl, or unsubstituted C4-20-heteroaryl;
• each m and n is, independently, 1 or 2;
• and
• Ra and Rb, if present, are each, independently, hydrogen, substituted C1-20-alkyl, unsubstituted C1-20-alkyl, substituted C2-20-alkenyl, unsubstituted C2-20-alkenyl, substituted C2-20-alkynyl, unsubstituted C2-20-alkynyl, substituted C1-20-heteroalkyl, unsubstituted C1-20-heteroalkyl, substituted C1-20-alkoxy, unsubstituted C1-20-alkoxy, substituted C3-20-cycloalkyl, unsubstituted C3-20-cycloalkyl, substituted C3-20-cycloalkenyl, unsubstituted C3-20-cycloalkenyl, substituted C2-20-heterocycloalkyl, unsubstituted C2-20-heterocycloalkyl, substituted C6-20-aryl, unsubstituted C6-20-aryl, substituted C4-20-heteroaryl, or unsubstituted C4-20-heteroaryl;
• or when X and/or Y is —NRaRb, —PRaRb, —OPRaRb, or —NHPRaRb, Ra and Rb together with the heteroatom to which they are attached form a heterocycle.