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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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.

A chloride-free Pd(OAc)2/Cu(OAc)2 system catalyzes the oxidation of organic substrates by molecular oxygen in nonacidic methanol solutions. Terminal olefins, i.e., 1-hexene, 1-octene, styrene, and 2-vinylnaphthalene, give the corresponding methyl ketones without a significant double-bond isomerization of long-chain substrates. The catalyst also promotes an unusual allylic oxidation of sterically encumbered trisubstituted internal double bonds in acyclic polyenes able to form η2−η2-chelates with palladium. Linalool and nerolidol, mono- and sesquiterpenic allylic alcohols, give corresponding allylic ethers arising from the exclusive oxidation of the internal double bonds. Monosubstituted terminal double bonds in both substrates remain intact due to the deactivating effect of the allylic hydroxyl group. Dihydromyrcene, a nonfunctionalized monoterpenic diene, gives allylic ether and methyl ketone arising from the oxidation of both trisubstituted and terminal double bonds, respectively. On the other hand, internal double bonds in the substrates without a terminal olefinic bond, such as citronellol, citronellal, nerol, and citral, do not undergo oxidation under similar conditions. A steric possibility for chelation of the terminal and internal double bonds on the same palladium atom seems to be a crucial factor to determine the reactivity of the internal double bonds in these substrates toward oxidation. The presence of the second η2-coordinated double bond in these chelates favors the activation of the allylic C−H bond of the olefin, which results in η3-allyl intermediates and, then, in allylic ethers. Nerol, a primary allylic alcohol, is oxidized to (Z)-citral, although the process is complicated by further nonselective transformations of citral. All oxygenated terpenic derivatives obtained in the present work have a pleasant scent with a flower or fruit tinge and are potentially useful as components of synthetic perfumes.