Abstract
It has been found that $Rh(ClO_4)(CO)(P(C_6H_5)_3)_2$ catalyzes the hydrogenation and isomerization of soybean oil at room temperature under the atmospheric pressure of hydrogen. The hydrogenation occurs at the olefinic groups to produce saturated groups leaving the ester groups intact, and the isomerization converts $-CH = CH- CH_2-CH = CH-$ units to conjugated dienes and the dienes separated by more than two $-CH_2-$ groups. The rate of the hydrogenation is faster than that of the isomerization.