Catalytic Transformations of Renewable Resources
We have recently initiated a program that is aimed at making larger substructures within natural products available from terpene feedstock. Using simple bulk terpenes such citronellal, geranyl and neryl acetate or nepetalactone, we have been able to find efficient ways to modify the carbon skeleton using oxidations, organocatalytic and metal-catalyzed reactions such as hydroformylations.