Acyclic monoterpene aldehydes

Monoterpenoids are responsible for fragrances and flavors of many plants and thus their products are used in perfumery and as spices. To date over 1,500 monoterpenoids are known, and these constitute acyclic, monocyclic, and bicyclic monoterpenoids (32), which occur in nature as hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes, and carboxylic acids and their esters. Several acyclic monoterpenoid hydrocarbons are known, and these include trienes such as 3-myrcene (Cl), a-myrcene (C2), (Z)-a-ocimene (C3), ( )-a-ocimene (C4), (Z)-3-ocimene (C5), and ( )-P-ocimene (C6). 3-Myrcene and 3-ocimene are constituents of basil (Oci-mum basilicum, Labiatae) and bay (Pimenta acris, Myrtaceae), pettitgrain (Citrus vulgaris, Rutaceae) leaves, strobiles of hops (Humulus lupulus, Cannabaceae), and several other essential oils. Unsaturated acyclic monoterpene alcohol constituents of plants and their derived aldehydes play a signihcant role in the perfume industry. Some common acyclic monoterpene alcohols and aldehydes include geraniol (C7), linalool (C8) (a... 

Molecular structures of monoterpenoids are present as three major types acyclic, monocyclic and bicyclic. Oxygenated derivatives of acyclic monoterpenes are more widespread in nature than acyclic monoterpenes themselves. Such derivatives are the monoterpene alcohols citronellol and geraniol, or the monoterpene aldehydes citronellal and geranial. Mononocyclic monoterpene hydrocarbons are exemplified by limonene, which is a major component of orange and lemon peel oils, and p-phellandrene, which is emitted by conifer trees under biotic stress. These compounds are relatively common in nature. Bicyclic monoterpenes are represented by the aforementioned a-pinene, one of the most abundant and important monoterpenes. 

Myrcene is a very abundant acyclic monoterpene available from the essential oils of various plants including wild thyme and hops. Recently, an excellent overview on the manufacture and transformation of this natural product was given by Behr and Johnen [125]. Commercially, myrcene is produced by the pyrolysis of pinenes [126]. The rhodium-catalyzed hydroformylation of myrcene gives usually a mixture of fragrance aldehydes in more than 90% combined yields (Scheme 6.37) [127, 128]. The main aldehyde, which accounted for 70 - 80% of the mass balance, results from the reaction with the less substituted C=C bond through the formation of a T) -allyl rhodium intermediate complex [127]. The reaction was also performed in a toluene/water biphasic system using the water-soluble TPPTS ligand and a cationic surfactant [84]. 

Monoterpenes occur in plants in various structural forms some are cyclic while the others are acyclic. They also contain various types of functional group, and depending on their functional groups they can be classified as simple hydrocarbons, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, acids or phenols. Some examples are cited below. 

The monoterpenes are subdivided into three groups acyclic, monocyclic and bicyclic (there is only one tricyclic terpene tricyclene). Each group contains hydrocarbon terpenes, terpene alcohols, terpene aldehydes, ketones, oxides etc... 

Monoterpenes (Cio) are the simplest members of the terpene series. They result from the condensation of two isoprene units and may be acyclic, monocyclic, bicyclic or tricyclic. The monoterpenes can have another functional moiety like alcohol (geraniol, linalool, menthol, bomeol), aldehyde (geranial, cihonellal), ketone (menthone, carvone, thujone), ester (bomyl acetate, linalyl acetate), ether (1,8-cineol) and phenol (thymol, carvacol). In the case of optically active molecules, the proportions of the enantiomers vary largely from one species to another. 

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