Kekule terpenes

At that time, hydrocarbons occurring in essential oils with the molecular formula C,oH g were known, which had been named by Kekule terpenes because of their occurrence in turpentine oil. Constituents with the molecular formulas CigHigO and C,oH,gO were also known at that time under the generic name camphor and were obviously related to terpenes. The prototype of this group was camphor itself, which was known since antiquity. In 1891, Wallach characterized the terpenes pinene, camphene, limonene, dipentene, phellandrene, terpinolene, fenchene, and sylvestrene, which has later been recognized to be an artifact. 

WALLACH, OTTO (1847-1931). German chemist who received the Nobel prize for chemistry in 1910 for recognition of his services to organic chemistry and the chemical industry by his pioneer work tn the field of alic.yclic compounds. His mentors were Hofmann and Wahler, and he worked at the University of Bonn under Kekule. He studied pharmacy and did work on terpenes. camphors, and essential oils. This was followed by research in aromatic oils, perfumes, and spices. His research of terpenes revealed their significance in sex hormones and vitamins. Ethereal oils and industrial uses were made possible by his work. 

The eighth Nobel Prize was awarded to Ernest Rutherford for his work on the composition of the atom. While today this work might be considered more in the realm of physics, this award for chemistry emphasizes the overlap of the two fields. Chemistry could not progress without physics, but we dare say physics would not progress without chemists. Wilhelm Ostwald received the ninth Nobel Prize for his work in the field of physical chemistry, as this study of the border area between physics and chemistry came to be known. Otto Wallach, another product of Kekule s laboratories, received the tenth Nobel Prize for his work in organic chemistry, mostly on elucidating structures of plant oils, terpenes. The eleventh prize went to Marie Curie for her chemical work on polonium and radium. She had already shared the 1903 Nobel Prize in physics with her husband and Henri Becquerel... 

The important work of Berthelot on terpenes has been considered (see p. 473). Kekule (1866) mainly followed Berthelot s nomenclature he thought there were numerous isomers of the formula CioHi, differing appreciably in properties. A new phase of terpene chemistry began with the work of Tilden, beginning in 1875. 

---