3.7.11.15- Tetramethyl-2-hexadecenal

Chemical degradation of chlorophyll gives a number of substances including phytol The constitution of phytol is given by the name 3 7 11 15 tetramethyl 2 hexadecen 1 ol How many stereoisomers have this constitution" ... 

Another very common phytochemical isolated was phytol (3,7,11, 15-tetramethyl-2-hexadecen-l-ol), the diterpenoid alcohol which forms the "tail" of chlorophyll. This compound is nearly insoluble in water, but when applied as a 0.1 mM (0.003 wt. %) solution in 0.1% DMS0 it increased onion germination while decreasing germination in sorghum, wheat, and carrot. The germination effects are significant at only the 95% level, but pretreatment studies are planned as part of other terpene chemistry studies at SRRC and LSI). 

Phytol, a diterpene alcohol (3,7,11,15-tetramethyl-2-hexadecen-l-ol), occurs in two isomeric forms fraus-phytol 110 and czs-phytol 111 (Structure 4.33). Phytol was first isolated at the beginning of the nineteenth century during esterification of the chlorophyll molecule. It is a constituent of nettle and many essential oils. Another acyclic diterpene, geranylcitronellol 112, also occurs in essential oils. 

Phytol is a fatty alcohol with 20 carbon atoms (3, 7, 11, 15-tetramethyl-2-hexadecene-l-ol, C20H40O) from the group ofterpenes. Phytol is used in the synthesis of vitamins E and K]. In addition, it is a lipophilic component of chlorophyll. Because of a double bond cis- and trans-isomers exist. The trans-isomer is used as a fixener in the perfume industry. 

CAS 150-86-7 EINECS/ELINCS 205-776-6 Synonyms 3,7,11,15-Tetramethylhexadec-2-en-1 -ol 3,7,11,15-Tetramethyl-2-hexadecen-1 -ol... 

The separation of the stereoisomers of phytol (3, 7, 1, 15-tetramethyl-2-hexadecen-l-ol, C2oH400) has been described6 at a relatively large scale (about 20 kg per day). The synthetic phytol is a mixture of cis (33%) and trans (67%) isomers, the latter being used in perfumery. This separation is presented in the following. 

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