Terpene isomerization

Important benefits of GC/FTIR are also found in the food industry. Compounds from natural origin, such as terpenes, isomeric sugars, and conjugated unsaturated oils, are difficult to identify by GC/MS alone, and additional GC/FTIR data appear to be very helpful in these cases. The unraveling of the molecular structures of flavors and fragrances present in, for instance, cherimoya fruit and strawberries, are largely based on the results obtained by light-pipe GC/FTIR. 

The enzyme catalyzed reactions that lead to geraniol and farnesol (as their pyrophosphate esters) are mechanistically related to the acid catalyzed dimerization of alkenes discussed m Section 6 21 The reaction of an allylic pyrophosphate or a carbo cation with a source of rr electrons is a recurring theme m terpene biosynthesis and is invoked to explain the origin of more complicated structural types Consider for exam pie the formation of cyclic monoterpenes Neryl pyrophosphate formed by an enzyme catalyzed isomerization of the E double bond m geranyl pyrophosphate has the proper geometry to form a six membered ring via intramolecular attack of the double bond on the allylic pyrophosphate unit... 

Uses ndReactions. a-Pinene (8) is useful for synthesizing a wide variety of terpenoids. Hydration to pine oil, acid-catalyzed isomerization to camphene, thermal isomerization to ocimene and aHoocimene, and polymerization to terpene resins are some of its direct uses. Manufacture of linalool, nerol, and geraniol has become an economically important use of a-pinene. 

Uses ndReactions. Some of the principal uses for P-pinene are for manufacturing terpene resins and for thermal isomerization (pyrolysis) to myrcene. The resins are made by Lewis acid (usuaUy AlCl ) polymerization of P-pinene, either as a homopolymer or as a copolymer with other terpenes such as limonene. P-Pinene polymerizes much easier than a-pinene and the resins are usehil in pressure-sensitive adhesives, hot-melt adhesives and coatings, and elastomeric sealants. One of the first syntheses of a new fragrance chemical from turpentine sources used formaldehyde with P-pinene in a Prins reaction to produce the alcohol, Nopol (26) (59). 

Carene has also been isomerized over an S-alumina catalyst to a 50 50 mixture of dipentene (15) and carvestrene (30). The cmde mixture can be readily polymerized to a terpene resin or copolymerized with piperjiene (63,64). 

Selected physical properties of chloroprene are Hsted in Table 1. When pure, the monomer is a colorless, mobile Hquid with slight odor, but the presence of small traces of dimer usually give a much stronger, distinctive odor similar to terpenes and inhibited monomer may be colored from the stabilizers used. Ir and Raman spectroscopy of chloroprene (4) have been used to estimate vibrational characteristics and rotational isomerization. 

Two isomeric terpenes are known under the name of phellandrene. Before the distinction between the two bodies was recognised, phellandrene had been discovered and reported in a number of essential oils, so that in many cases it is impossible at present to decide which isomer is that actually present in a ven oil. The two terpenes—still another case of the absurd nomenclature which has been retained for so many of the terpenes—are known as a-phellandrene and /3-phellandrene. The constitutions of the two hydrocarbons are probably as follows —... 

The possible occurrence of such major rearrangement of a compound s carbon skeleton, during the course of apparently unequivocal reactions, is clearly of the utmost significance in interpreting the results of experiments aimed at structure elucidation particularly when the actual product is isomeric with the expected one. Some rearrangements of this type are highly complex, e.g. in the field of natural products such as terpenes, and have often made the unambiguous elucidation of reaction pathways extremely difficult. The structure of reaction products should never be assumed but always confirmed as a routine measure lH and 13C n.m.r. spectroscopy have proved of enormous value in this respect. 

The main constituents of spearmint oil are /-carvone (Fig. 13.12.7) and /-limonene (Fig. 13.12.8). Oil of spearmint contains from 45 to 60% l-carvone, 6 to 20% of alcohols, and 4 to 20% of esters and terpenes, mainly /-limonene and cineole (see Fig. 13.12.4)J2J The optically isomeric form of carvone, d-carvone, is found in oil of caraway and oil of dill. Carvone appears to co-occur with limonene when present in a plant. 

The reaction was applied to an acyclic system for the synthesis of furanoid terpenes (Scheme ll)51. The palladium-catalyzed intramolecular reaction of 47 afforded 48 which was transformed to the target molecule. The latter product was obtained as a 1 1 mixture of marmelo oxide A and B, which is the isomeric mixture found in nature. 

Isomerization of allylic amines is another example of the application of the BINAP complex. Rh BINAP complex catalyzes the isomerization of N,N-diethylnerylamine 40 generated from myrcene 39 with 76-96% optical yield. Compound (R)-citronellal (R)-42. prepared through hydrolysis of (R)-41, is then cyclized by zinc bromide treatment.49 Catalytic hydrogenation then completes the synthesis of (—)-menthol. This enantioselective catalysis allows the annual production of about 1500 tons of menthol and other terpenic substances by Takasago International Corporation.50... 

Oh, nonsense," I said and got up and went to the blackboard and drew the structure of the target. I drew the isomeric homologue of tetrahydrocannabinol with the terpene double bond down in the terpene 3,4-position and a 1,2-dimethylheptyl chain at the aromatic 3-position. "This is the obvious product you want," 1 added as 1 returned to my seat, "So why don t we discuss how this coupling could be achieved."... 

The ring-opening of oxiranes, leading to the formation of isomeric carbonyl compounds by the action of acid catalysts as a result of rearrangement, is of continuing interest (refs. 1-4). However, most of these studies focus mainly on the transformations of terpene oxides or oxiranes with other functional groups in the liquid phase, under homogeneous reaction conditions. 

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