The remarkable effect of the solvent on the catalytic performance of H3PW12O40, the strongest heteropoly acid in the Keggin series, allows direction of the transformations of alpha-pinene oxide (1) to either campholenic aldehyde (2), trans-carveol (3), trans-sobrerol (4 a), or pinol (5). Each of these expensive fragrance compounds was obtained in good to excellent yields by using an appropriate solvent. Solvent polarity and basicity strongly affect the reaction pathways: nonpolar nonbasic solvents favor the formation of aldehyde 2; polar basic solvents favor the formation of alcohol 3; whereas in polar weakly basic solvents, the major products are compounds 4 a and 5. On the other hand, in 1,4-dioxane, which is a nonpolar basic solvent, both aldehyde 2 and alcohol 3 are formed in comparable amounts. The use of very low catalyst loading (0.005-1 mol %) and the possibility of catalyst recovery and recycling without neutralization are significant advantages of this simple, environmentally benign, and low-cost method. This method represents the first example of the synthesis of isomers from alpha-pinene oxide, other than campholenic aldehyde, with a selectivity that is sufficient for practical usage.

A remarkable effect of the solvent nature on the acid catalyzed transformation of ␣-pinene oxide allowed direction of the reaction to either trans-carveol or trans-sobrerol. Each of these highly valuable compounds was obtained in nearly 70% yield using an appropriate polar solvent, whose basicity affected strongly the product distribution. In acetone, a weakly basic solvent, the reaction over heterogeneous sol-gel Sn/SiO 2 or Ce/SiO 2 catalysts gave mainly trans-sobrerol. No leaching of active components occurs under the reaction conditions and the catalysts can be recovered and reused. On the other hand, in more basic solvent, i.e., dimethylacetamide, the reaction was essentially directed to trans-carveol. Due to the leaching problems with Sn/SiO 2 and Ce/SiO 2 materials, the synthesis of trans-carveol was performed under homogeneous conditions using CeCl 3 or SnCl 2 as catalysts with a catalyst turnover number up to ca. 1200. The method represents one of the few examples of the synthesis of isomers from ␣-pinene oxide, other than campholenic aldehyde, with a sufficient for practical usage selectivity.

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Cobalt-containing MCM-41 was used as a heterogeneous catalyst for the liquid-phase aerobic oxidation of isolongifolene, one of the most available sesquiterpenes. The material was prepared by direct incorporation of cobalt into the framework through the hydrothermal method, and was characterized by ICP-AES, N 2 adsorption-desorption, TEM, XRD, SAXS, XPS, and H 2-TPR techniques. Characterizations suggest that cobalt introduced into MCM-41 exists mainly in a single-site Co 2+ state, whereas the amounts of the extraframework Co 3 O 4 are relatively low. The oxidation of isolongifolene under mild solvent-free conditions results mainly (90% selectivity) in isolongifolen-9-one, a compound which occupies a vintage place in modern perfume industry. The total concentration of oxygenated products in the final mixtures reaches 90 wt%. The catalyst undergoes no metal leaching, and can be easily recovered and re-used. A silica-included cobalt catalyst prepared through a conventional sol-gel method shows a catalytic activity comparable with that of Co-MCM-41; however, selectivity is much lower.

The liquid-phase isomerization of limonene oxide was studied in the presence of heteropoly acid catalysts in aprotic solvents in homogeneous and heterogeneous systems. Among the catalysts were bulk and silica-supported tungstophosphoric acid H 3 PW 12 O 40 and its acidic Cs salt Cs 0.5 H 0.5 PW 12 O 40 (CsPW). The reaction gave dihydrocarvone, a valuable fragrance intermediate, as the main product with turnover numbers of up to 8000. The nature of the solvent had a strong effect on reaction rate and selectivity. CsPW (0.1 mol%) was found to be a highly efficient and truly heterogeneous catalyst for this reaction, providing 82% yield of dihydrocarvone in 1,4-dioxane as a solvent under ambient conditions. This simple catalytic method represents economically attractive route to industrially important compounds starting from bio-renewable substrates easily available from essential oils.