Tetrahydro-4-methyl-2-(2-methylprop-1-enyl)pyran

OccurrenceReported found in the oils of rose (Bulgarian) and geranium (Réunion); both the cis- and the trans-form have been reportedly isolated from geranium oil. Unidentified isomers reported found in black currant berries, passion fruit, some types of Thymus and white wine.

synthetischeRose oxide is usually prepared from citronellol, which can be converted into a mixture of two allyl hydroperoxides by photosensitized oxidationwith singlet oxygen. Reduction of the hydroperoxideswith sodium sulfite yields the corresponding diols . Treatmentwith dilute sulfuric acid results in allylic rearrangement and spontaneous cyclization of one of the isomers; amixture of diastereoisomeric rose oxides is thus formed. The unreacted diol isomer is separated by distillation. ()- Citronellol as the starting material yields an approximately 7 : 3 mixture of ()-cisand ()-trans-rose oxide. Higher proportions of the cis-isomer may be obtained by dehydration with a stronger acid.Other methods for the production of rose oxide starting from citronellol consist of halogenation–dehalogenation reactions of citronellol.An alternative technical process does not use citronellol but starts from prenal [107-86-8] and 3-methyl-3-buten-1-ol [763-32-6]. Under acidic conditions, the reaction affords a mixture of isomers of dehydro rose oxide (C10H16O6; [1786- 08-9], [92356-05-3], [60857-05-8]). Subsequent hydrogenation using a ruthenium/alumina catalyst leads to rose oxide.The proportion of cis-isomer can be increased by isomerization under acidic conditions.