What Is Camphene?
Camphene is a bicyclic hydrocarbon found in essential oils, which are volatile oils extracted from plants.
Essential oils contain hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, phenols, esters, etc. Camphene is one of these hydrocarbons and belongs to the monoterpene group.
Monoterpenes are a naturally occurring class of hydrocarbons, a group of hydrocarbons with small molecular weight consisting of a single isoprene unit.
Because of their small molecular weight, they are easily volatilized and often have a strong aroma. Camphene is the only known essential oil hydrocarbon that crystallizes at room temperature. Some essential oil components that are not hydrocarbons also crystallize at room temperature, such as camphor, which is a ketone.
Uses of Camphene
Camphene is mainly used as an ingredient in food flavoring and cosmetics because of its characteristic natural camphor-like odor. It is also used in non-alcoholic disinfectants and sanitizers and in fragrance compositions for insect repellents.
Other important uses are as an intermediate in chemical synthesis. It serves as an intermediate in the chemical camphor, a synthetic camphor, from which camphene is made, although camphene is made from alpha-pinene.
Because of its characteristic bicyclic structure and highly reactive double bonds, it is often used in the synthesis of chemicals with complex structures. Examples include applications in pharmaceuticals and pesticides, or in the production of fragrances with different aromas by derivatization to esters.
Properties of Camphene
Camphene’s molecular formula is C10H16, its molecular weight is 136.23, and its CAS registration number is 79-92-5. Its melting point is 52°C, and it is solid at room temperature. However, it volatilizes by sublimation.
It is almost insoluble in water, but soluble in ether. It is a colorless crystal at room temperature, but volatilizes at room temperature and has a pungent odor. It is found in natural camphor oil, turpentine oil, and cypress oil and is part of their odor.
How to Choose Camphene
A particular thing to note about camphene is that it has optical isomers. One way to refer to the optical isomers is as d-/(+) (right-handed) or l-/(-) (left-handed). Many commercial products are also labeled accordingly.
The purpose of use should be taken into consideration when deciding whether one of the optical isomers or the racemic form should be obtained. Other points to keep in mind when purchasing are general for organic chemicals.
Depending on whether the use is for research or industrial purposes, either the reagent or the industrial chemical form should be selected. For reagents, choose the grade of reagent and the recommended use (e.g., reagent for ~) depending on whether the reagent is for synthesis or analysis.
In general, reagents for analytical use are of higher purity. The intended use determines the required purity.
Other Information about Camphene
1. Origin and Production Method
Naturally, camphene is found in the essential oils of plants, with the optical isomer d(+)-Camphene in the ginger plant, and l(-)-Camphene in the camphoraceous plant. Most commercial products are synthetic.
Industrially, it is produced by catalytic isomerization of α-pinene or by alkaline dehydrochlorination of bornyl chloride, which is synthesized by treating α-pinene with hydrogen chloride.
2. Toxicity Information
Camphene is irritating, especially to the eyes. Although it is a solid, it is volatile, and the volatilized vapor is flammable. It is also flammable. It is also considered to be highly toxic to aquatic organisms. Therefore, it must be stored so as not to leak into the environment.