Fenchone Explained

Fenchone is an organic compound classified as a monoterpenoid and a ketone. It is a colorless oily liquid. It has a structure and an odor similar to those of camphor. Fenchone is a constituent of absinthe and the essential oil of fennel. Fenchone is used as a flavor in foods and in perfumery.[1]

Other names for fenchone include dl-fenchone and (±)-fenchone. It is a mixture of the enantiomers d-fenchone and l-fenchone. Other names for d-fenchone include (+)-fenchone and (1S,4R)-fenchone. Other names for l-fenchone include (−)-fenchone and (1R,4S)-fenchone. The d-fenchone enantiomer occurs in pure form in wild, bitter and sweet fennel plants and seeds, whereas the l-fenchone enantiomer occurs in pure form in wormwood, tansy, and cedarleaf.[2]

References

  1. Karl-Georg Fahlbusch, Franz-Josef Hammerschmidt, Johannes Panten, Wilhelm Pickenhagen, Dietmar Schatkowski, Kurt Bauer, Dorothea Garbe, Horst Surburg "Flavors and Fragrances" in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim: 2002. Published online: 15 January 2003; .
  2. U. Ravid, E. Putievsky, I. Katzir, R. Ikan “Chiral gc analysis of enantiomerically pure fenchone in essential oils” in Flavour and Fragrance Journal, 7: 169-172, John Wiley & Sons: 1992. Published online: June 1992; .