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Preface
The mind is afire to be kindled, not a vessel to be filled.Plu
archThe book is aimed primarily at university undergraduates,
post-graduates and professional chemists who wish to build up
theirknowledge of terpenoid chemistry. It is intended to serve as a
generalintroduction to the exciting field of terpenoid chemistry.
Terpenoids playan important part in all our lives, from perfumes
through insect pestcontrol to pharmaceuticals such as steroid
hormones and the anti-cancerdrug paclitaxel. The subject therefore
also serves to illustrate theimportance of chemistry in everyday
life.In the interests of length and also of the authors expertise,
we willconcentrate on the mono- and sesquiterpenoids and primarily
those ofinterest as fragrance ingredients. Higher terpenoids will
be mentionedand the reader will be able to extrapolate the basic
principlesof terpenoidchemistry from the more detailed examples
using lower terpenoids tothese higher homologues.
Chemistry is a multi-faceted discipline and each part is
interconnectedwith every other. It is also the central natural
science, lying betweenphysics and biology. To understand chemistry
we must understandsomething of physics. Equally, since living
organisms function throughchemistry, we must understand that
chemistry in order to fullyunderstand them. I have therefore
included some elementsof biochem-istry and molecular biology in
order to illustrate the key role whichterpenoids play in the
processes of life and the senses of sight and smell
inparticular.Terpenoid chemistry touches on all aspects of
stereochemistry andmechanism. However, one prominent feature of
terpenoid chemistry isthat of carbocation reactions and the
fundamental research whichforms the basis of our understanding of
this area, was carried out onfragrant terpenoids. Some of the most
elegant of all total synthesesinvolve sesquiterpenoid targets. The
book will therefore also serve as arefresher course on mechanism,
stereochemistry and synthetic method-ology. Where appropriate,
basic principles are discussed in order toprepare for their
application to terpenoids. For example, the ele-ments of
stereochemistry are reviewed in Chapter4before showing how
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vi Prefaceimportant they are in understanding the chemistry of
carvone andmenthol. I recommend that any student readers of this
book acquire aset of molecular models. These will be particularly
helpful in under-standing stereochemistry and carbocation
rearrangements in cyclicmolecules.The first two chapters are
designed to excite by showing the diversityof terpenoids and their
roles in living organisms. Also amazing is thatsuch a diversity can
be produced from one simple feedstock and ahandful of chemical
reactions. Students going through the book from thebeginning should
not be put off by the apparently complex chemistrydescribed,
especially in Chapter 2. The basic principles of the chemistryare
covered in detail in later chapters.
There is a selection of problems involving terpenoid chemistry
and thisis followed by worked solutions.As always, problems are a
good way oftesting ones understanding of a subject and this is one
of the reasons forincluding a number in this book. However, some of
them serve a dualpurpose and are almost integral parts of the text
since they explain somepoints which are, deliberately, passed over
rather superficially in themain body of the text. If the reader
finds something which appears tohave been glossed over, then it
would be useful to check the problemssection to see if the
explanation lies there.There is a bibliography which will serve to
direct those who wish toknow more to some of the key sources of
information. These arearranged by subject in order to make it easy
to use. There are also specificreferences which are cited in the
main body of the text. These are mostlyto original research papers
and are designed to encourage the students totest the excitement of
exploring the original literature. There is a smalldegree of
overlap between the references and the bibliography. I felt
itbetter to accept this than to create a complex system of
cross-referencingwhich would reduce accessibility.I believe that
science and art should not be separated but should betaken together
since each helpsinour understanding and appreciation ofthe other.
Many great scientists were also accomplished in the arts.
Forexample, Albert Einstein played the violin and Alexander
Borodin,besides being a professor of chemistry at a medical school
in SaintPetersburg and a leading figure in research into alkaloids,
was one of thegreatest Russian composers of his day. Perfumery is
clearly a blend ofcreative art and chemical science. I have
therefore tried to develop a linkto philosophy and the arts through
the use of appropriate quotations atthe start of each chapter and
by the use of perfumery as an example ofdiscovery chemistry.
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