Periplanone B Explained

Periplanone B is a pheromone produced by the female American cockroach,^[1] Periplaneta americana. It is a sexual attractant to male cockroaches, especially at short ranges.^[2]

History

The activity of this pheromone was first described in 1952, but it was not until 25 years later that Persoons et al. reported the gross structure of periplanones A and B. The stereochemical configuration and first total synthesis were reported by W. Clark Still's group at Columbia University in 1979.^[3]

Notes and References

1. Okada, K. Behavioral responses of male Periplaneta americana L. to female sex pheromone components, periplanone-A and periplanone-B . Journal of Chemical Ecology . 16 . 9 . 2605–2614 . September 1990 . 10.1007/BF00988072 . 24264316 . 30323914 . etal.
2. Chow, YF . Wang, SF . Attraction responses of the American cockroach to synthetic periplanone-B . Journal of Chemical Ecology . 7 . 2 . 265–272 . 1981 . 10.1007/BF00995749 . 24420472 . 21794952 .
3. Book: Nicolaou, K. C.. Classics in Total Synthesis. K. C. Nicolaou . E. J. Sorensen. 1996. VCH. Weinheim, Germany. 3-527-29284-5. 211. limited.