Adding value to terpenoids: from pseudoionone to 1-methyl-1,3-cyclohexadiene

Abstract

Alkenes and conjugated dienes play an important role in organic synthesis and polymer chemistry. Being essentially fossil-based materials, there is a strong interest in developing alternative ways to obtain such compounds from renewable resources. In this study, we report the synthesis of 1-methyl-1,3-cyclohexadiene, a cyclic conjugated diene that is rarely reported in the literature and not widely available commercially. This compound is synthesized from pseudoionone using ruthenium-catalysed ring closing olefin metathesis transformation. Mesityl oxide, a known chemical with wide applications, is concomitantly obtained.