dodecahydro-3,8,8,11a-tetramethyl-5H-3,5a-epoxynaphth[2,1-c]oxepin

Dodecahydro-3,8,8,11a-tetramethyl-5H-3,5a-epoxynaphth[2,1-c]oxepin is a colorless to pale yellow liquid. It possesses a powerful amber note with good stability in nonaggressive media.

The synthesis starts from the natural raw material manool, which is obtained by extraction from a tree growing in New Zealand, the so-called pink pine, Halocarpus biformis (Hooker) C.J. Quinn. Epoxidation of manool, subsequent oxidative degradation of the allylalcohol side chain to yield a ketone, and intramolecular acetalization afford the ketal.

Ambermore Ketal (Aromor), Amberketal (Givaudan), Z11 (Firmenich).