Borohydride Reduction of Camphor for the Preparation of Isoborneol: An Introduction and Discussion of An Undergraduate Experiment Abroad
WANG Zhipeng1*, JIANG Zhen-Xiong2, YANG Xue-Mei1, Erol Can Vatansever1, MA Xin-Yu1, YAN Hui-Juan3, XU Bing3
1.Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA, 77840;
2.Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States, 77840;
3.Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States, 77840
Abstract Borenol, as a secondary metabolite that widely exists in nature, can be prepared via camphor reduction. However, due to its high reducibility which induces an easy oxidation process to form camphor, borenol is most commonly prepared using borohydride in laboratory. Two isomers are formed in this process, and one of the products isoborneol can be separated through kinetics control to make the reaction irreversible. This organic experiment has been well designed and already introduced in higher institutions at North America and European countries. In contrast, the current domestic lab manuals only contain a simper version such as cyclohexanone (or other similar single molecules) reduction, which fails to highlight the practicability of chemistry in problem-solving in the real world and is unable to attract students’ attention. This experiment can work as a great reference for experimental design in organic chemistry curriculum.
WANG Zhipeng, JIANG Zhen-Xiong, YANG Xue-Mei, Erol Can Vatansever, MA Xin-Yu, YAN Hui-Juan, XU Bing. Borohydride Reduction of Camphor for the Preparation of Isoborneol: An Introduction and Discussion of An Undergraduate Experiment Abroad[J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Education, 2020, 41(8): 108-111.
