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Two Molecules with a Pleasant Smell - Model Kit Activity #3
Featured Molecule
The featured molecule in this model kit activity page is carvone. Carvone is a terpenoid found in caraway, spearmint, and dill. Most people would identify pure carvone as having a spearmint odor. Limonene is a monoterpene found in citrus oil. It can be used to synthesize Carvone for use in the aroma industry.
Molecular Poesy
One molecule is a terpene; /
The other has a terpene "gene." /
Terpenoid is the name we state; /
When compounds have a terpene trait. /
Now limonene from an orange peel /
Has odor industry appeal. /
It has an odor of its own, /
But it can change into carvone. /
Limonene smells like citrus peel; /
Carvone has spearmint smell appeal.
Molecular Prose
Limonene is a molecule of industrial interest in Bradenton, FL. It's found in orange peels, and when you make orange juice, you have to do something with the orange peels. Orange peels are processed for use in a number of ways, but limonene in orange peels is a double use molecule. It has aroma industry value by itself, but it is also easily converted to carvone - found in spearmint and caraway - Rothenberger, Otis S.; Krasnoff, Stuart B.; Rollins, Ronald B. (1980). "Conversion of (+)-Limonene to (-)-Carvone: An organic laboratory sequence of local interest". Journal of Chemical Education. 57 (10): 741. In this page's Virtual Model Kit activity page, you will use the models of limonene and carvone an explore model kit editing and stereochemistry options.
Here is the link to the activity page: Load Activity Page
This essay involves the conversion of one useful molecule into another useful molecule. The featured demo video is a fun chemical reaction that involves an oscillation reaction where the reactants and products of a chemical reaction oscillate back and forth.
