Fragrances Flashcards
what are essential oils?
concentrated extracts from plants and are a mixture of organic compounds.
properties of essential oils
volatile and non-water soluble aroma compounds
examples of essential oils
- limonene from lemons
- lavandulol from lavender
- geraniol from geraniums
uses of essential oils
- cosmetics
- flavouring
- perfumes
- cleaning products
extracting essential oils in the lab
- oil must be volatile so it can be carried over by steam
- water added to produce steam
- oil and water do not mix and can be easily separated and the oil collected
- oil extracted by solvent extraction
what are terpenes?
- key components in most essential oils
- unsaturated compounds formed by joining together isoprene units.
isoprene formula
2-methylbuta-1,3-diene
molecular formula for isoprene
C5H8
general formula for isoprene
(C5H8)n where n is the number of linked isoprene units
how to work out number of isoprene units
divide the total number of carbons by 5
two structures of terpenes
linear or cyclic terpenes
myrcene
component of plants including bay, ylang-ylang and thyme
carotene
linear terpene found in carrots
made up of 8 isoprene units
limonene
cyclic terpene found in lemons/skin of citrus fruits
made up of 2 isoprene units
oxidation of terpenes
terpenes can be oxidised within plants producing some of the compounds responsible for the distinctive aroma of spices
