Camphor

From Freepedia

General
Image:Campher.png
Name	Camphor
Chemical formula	C10H16O.
Appearance	White or clear crystals
CAS-number	76-22-2
Physical
Formula weight	152.2358 u
Melting point	177 °C
Boiling point	207 °C
Density	0.99 g/cm³
Solubility	0.12 g in 100 ml water
Safety
Dangers	Flammable, combustible
Information from Chemfinder. SI units were used where possible. Unless otherwise stated, standard conditions were used.

Camphor, also known as:

- 1,7,7-trimethyl-bicyclo(2,2,1)heptan-2-one,

- d-camphor,

- d-(+)-camphor,

- (+)-2-bornanone,

- d-2-bornanone,

- 1,7,7-trimethylnorcamphor,

- 2-camphanone,

- 2-camphonone,

- bornan-2-one, or

- caladryl

has the chemical formula C₁₀H₁₆O.

Camphor is a white transparent waxy crystalline solid with a strong penetrating pungent aromatic odor. It is found in wood of the camphor laurel, Cinnamonum camphora, which is a large evergreen tree found in Asia (particularly in Borneo, hence its alternate name); it can also be synthetically produced from oil of turpentine. It is used for its scent, as an embalming fluid and for medicinal purposes. It has calming properties.

Modern uses include as a plasticizer for cellulose nitrate, as a moth repellent, in embalming, and in fireworks. A form of anti-itch gel currently on the market uses camphor as its active ingredient. Historically it has been used in medicine. In 1980, the United States Food and Drug Administration set a limit of 11% allowable camphor in consumer products and totally banned products labeled as camphorated oil, camphor oil, camphor liniment, and camphorated liniment. Camphor is readily absorbed through the skin and produces a feeling of cooling similar to that of menthol and acts as slight local anesthetic; however, it is poisonous when ingested and can cause seizures, mental confusion, irritability, and neuromuscular hyperactivity. Since alternative treatments exist, medicinal use of camphor is discouraged, except for skin-related uses, such as medicated powders, which contain only small amounts of camphor.Camphor grows from the Cinnamon camphor tree.

Other substances deriving from trees are sometimes wrongly sold as camphor.

The word camphor derives from the Malay word kapur, meaning "camphor tree." [1]

Reactions

Image:Camphor-3-Brominecampher.png Image:Camphor-Camphor acid.png Image:Camphor-Isonitrosocamphor.png

Biosynthesis

Camphor is produced from geranyl pyrophosphate, via cyclisation of linaloyl pyrophosphate to bornyl pyrophosphate, followed by hydrolysis to borneol and oxidation to camphor.

Reference

1. J. Mann, R. S. Davidson, J. B. Hobbs, D. V. Banthorpe, J. B. Harborne, Natural Products, pp309-311, Addison Wesley Longman Ltd., Harlow, UK, 1994. ISBN 0582060095.