Campholenic synthesis

Another opportunity to combine two reaction steps towards a one pot synthesis is the epoxidation of a-pinene and the isomerization of the epoxide to campho-lenic aldehyde (Scheme 5.6). Zeolite Ti-Beta seems adequate to deal with both steps as a catalyst [24]. Campholenic aldehyde is the starting material for several sandalwood fragrances. 

Campholenic Aldehyde Manufacture. Campholenic aldehyde is readily obtained by the Lewis-acid-catalyzed rearrangement of a-pinene oxide. It has become an important intermediate for the synthesis of a wide range of sandalwood fragrance compounds. Epoxidation of (+)- Ct-pinene (8) also gives the (+)-o -a-pinene epoxide [1686-14-2] (80) and rearrangement with zinc bromide is highly stereospecific and gives (-)-campholenic aldehyde... 

Alpha-Pinene oxide 9 (Eq. 15.2.5) is known as a reactive molecule which rearranges easily under the influence of an acid catalyst (6, 7). Thereby many products can be formed. For example compounds such as the isomeric campholenic aldehyde 11, trans-carveol 12, trans-sobrerol 13, p-cymene 14 or isopinocamphone 15 are observed as main by-products. At temperatures higher than 200°C more than 200 products can be formed. The industrially most desired compound among these is campholenic aldehyde 10. It is the key molecule for the synthesis of various highly intense sandalwood-like fragrance chemicals (7, 8). 

One-pot synthesis of campholenic aldehyde from a-pinenc has been achieved using t-butyl hydroperoxide and a Ti-containing mesoporous material of the I IMS-type. [80]. Selectivity to campholenic aldehyde was 82.4 % under the following. Conditions a-pincnc (5 mmol), t-butyl hydroperoxide (5 mmol, dried over MgSO,i), Ti-llMS (0.1 g) in acetonitrile (30 ml) stirred 24 h at 75 °C. 

---