title: Reaction mechanism of direct episulfidation of caryophyllene and humulene.
abstract: Direct episulfidations of caryophyllene or humulene with elemental sulfur were examined by means of gas chromatography. Caryophyllene-6,7-episulfide was formed at an early stage in a reaction of the caryophyllene and elemental sulfur at 120 degrees C. Caryophyllene-3,6-sulfide and polymer compounds were formed after the episulfidation. Formations of the these compounds were related to the disappearance of the caryophyllene-6,7-episulfide. Isomerization from the caryophyllene to isocaryophyllene was also observed during the reaction. In the reaction of humulene with elemental sulfur, humulene-6,7-episulfide was initially produced and then converted to humulene-9,10-episulfide. It was assumed that the polymer compound in the reaction of humulene with sulfur was related to the disappearance of the both humulene episulfides.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Wood Technology, Akita Prefectural University, Noshiro 016-0876, Japan. ashitani@iwt.akita-pu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ashitani
authors.forename: Anna-Karin
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Borg-Karlson
authors.forename: Koki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Shizuo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nagahama
mesh_terms: D000081222:Monocyclic Sesquiterpenes; D000081223:Polycyclic Sesquiterpenes; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D013440:Sulfides / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D013455:Sulfur / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000081222:Monocyclic Sesquiterpenes; D000081223:Polycyclic Sesquiterpenes; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D013440:Sulfides; C042686:humulene; D013455:Sulfur; C024714:caryophyllene