Myrcene
- 7-methyl 3-methylene -1 ,6-octadiene
- β - myrcene
Colorless to yellowish liquid
Liquid
0.80 g · cm -3
167 ° C.
2.68 hPa
Insoluble in water (6 mg · l-1 at 25 ° C)
1.4697
Attention
Template: Infobox chemical / molecular formula search available
Myrcene ( stress on the second syllable, myrcene, with the systematic name of 7 -methyl-3 -methylene- 1 ,6-octadiene ) is a triply unsaturated acyclic monoterpene hydrocarbon, and a component of many essential oils.
Occurrence
Myrcene is found in plants frequently, including in pines ( Pinus species ), ginger family ( Amomum species), mints (Mentha species), sage, caraway, fennel, tarragon, dill, mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), angelica (Angelica archangelica ), hops and hemp and many others.
Myrcene continues to be a pheromone of the bark beetle ( Scolytidae ), which attracts the insects as the verbenol. The beetles deterrent antagonist is the verbenone.
Properties and Preparation
Myrcene is a colorless to slightly yellow liquid which boils at 167 ° C. The flash point is 39 ° C. Myrcene is readily soluble in solvents such as ethanol, chloroform and ether, on the other hand in water. Myrcene is prepared by pyrolysis of β -pinene in turpentine oil.
Use
Myrcene is used for the production of odors and flavors, which are used in perfumery and pharmacy. Other acyclic monoterpenes are synthesized from myrcene.