One-Pot Synthesis of (+)-Nootkatone via Dark Singlet Oxygenation of Valencene: The Triple Role of the Amphiphilic Molybdate Catalyst

Efficient one-pot catalytic synthesis of (+)-nootkatone was performed from (+)-valencene using only hydrogen peroxide and amphiphilic molybdate ions. The process required no solvent and proceeded in three cascade reactions: (i) singlet oxygenation of valencene according to the ene reaction; (ii) Schenck rearrangement of one hydroperoxide into the secondary β-hydroperoxide; and (iii) dehydration of the hydroperoxide into the desired (+)-nootkatone. The solvent effect on the hydroperoxide rearrangement is herein discussed. The amphiphilic dimethyldioctyl ammonium molybdate, which is also a balanced surfactant, played a triple role in this process, as molybdate ions catalyzed at both Step 1 and Step 3 and it allowed the rapid formation of a three-phase microemulsion system that highly facilitates product recovery. Preparative synthesis of the high added value (+)-nootkatone was thus performed at room temperature with an isolated yield of 46.5%. This is also the first example of a conversion of allylic hydroperoxides into ketones catalyzed by molybdate ions.