<Chemical production of Flavors & Fragraces>
L-Menthol (Example)
1.Production of L-Menthol (Mint)
Production of L-menthol is largest among synthetic fragrances.
Amount is about 3000ton a year in Japan.
We can make L-menthol from natural resources or petro chemicals.
Until now, expansive development of L-menthol has been continued,
thinking of economical point.
Varieties of fragrance compounds were produced from derived intermediates.
Most of the organic synthetic techniques will be condensed in the L-menthol process.
L-menthol demand will be up in future and creative deveropment will be continued.
Application of L-menthol is as folowings;
Medicine, tobacco,poultice,chewing gum, tooth paste,candy etc.
I had a good experience in the midst of this development.
2.Features of this technology
It is a epoch-making event that we used asymmetric molecular catalyst first time in the world in industrial scale.
The catalyst consists of BINAP ligand and Rh(Rodium) complex, which will produce 100% optically pure compounds.
The BINAP catalyst was created by Prf.NOYORI etal, to whom the Nobel prize was granted.
3.Chemical formula