Enantioselective Access to (−)-Ambrox®Starting fromβ-Farnesene

From Ambergris to (-)-Ambrox: Chemistry Meets Biocatalysis for Sustainable (-)-Ambrox Production

(-)-Ambrox, the most prominent olfactive component of ambergris is one of the most widely used biodegradable fragrance ingredients. Traditionally it is produced from the diterpene sclareol, modified and cyclized into (-)-ambrox by classical chemistry steps. The availability of the new feedstock (E)-β-farnesene produced by fermentation opened new pathways to (E,E)-homofarnesol as a precursor to (-)-ambrox. Combining chemical transformation of (E)-β-farnesene to (E,E)-homofarnesol and its enzymatic cyclization at the industrial scale to (-)-ambrox with an engineered squalene hopene cyclase illustrates the potential of biotechnology for a more sustainable process, thus meeting the increasing consumers' demand for sustainably produced high quality perfumery and consumer goods. This review traces back to the origin of ambergris and the search for the source of its mysterious odor, leading to the discovery of (-)-ambrox as its main olfactive principle. It discusses the plethora of ways explored for its synthesis from diverse starting materials and presents the development of a process with significantly improved carbon efficiency for the industrial production of (-)-ambrox as 100% renewable Ambrofix.

Regioselective Ene-Type Allylic Chlorination of Electron-Rich Alkenes by Activated DMSO

A simple protocol involving the activation of DMSO by chlorotrimethysilane is described for the chemoselective chlorination of polyprenoids. The proposed protocol provides a versatile and scalable alternative to existing routes for accessing useful synthetic synthons for the synthesis of complex terpenoids.

Scalable Synthesis of the Amber Odorant 9-epi-Ambrox through a Biomimetic Cationic Cyclization/Nucleophilic Bromination Reaction

A novel biomimetic nucleophilic bromocyclization reaction is used in the key step of a new and straightforward synthesis of 9-epi-Ambrox, an organic compound of high interest and value in the context of fragrances. This strategic reaction allows access to 9-epi-Ambrox on a gram scale from a dienyne derivative, easily available from geraniol, following a sequence of seven steps (35% global yield) with just one purification process. Both enantiomers of the molecule were obtained by a challenging enzymatic resolution.

One-pot synthesis of (-)-Ambrox

(−)-Ambrox is recognised as the prototype of all ambergris odorants. Widely used in perfumery, (−)-Ambrox is an important ingredient due to its unique scent and excellent fixative function. An environmentally friendly and practical preparation of (−)-Ambrox is still unavailable at present although a lot of attention has been paid to this hot research topic for many years. A one-pot synthesis of (−)-Ambrox was studied starting from (−)-sclareol through oxidation with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of a quaternary ammonium phosphomolybdate catalyst {[C₅H₅NC₁₆H₃₃] [H₂PMo₁₂O₄₀]}, which gave the product a 20% overall yield.