A stereospecific synthetic route to campherenone, campherenol, epicampherenone, β-santalene, epi-β-santalene, ylangocamphor, copacamphor, sativene, and copacamphene

A simple and efficient synthetic route to either enantiomeric form of campherenone and epicampherenone [the epimeric 1,7-dimethyl-7-(4-methylpent-3-enyl)norbornan-2-ones], β-santalene and epi-β-santalene [2-methyl-3-methylene-2-(4-methylpent-3-enyl)norbornanes], and the perhydro-1,4-methanoindene derivatives copacamphor, copacamphene, ylagocamphor, and sativene is described. The simplicity of the synthetic route is due to the application of a general synthetic plan and the development of a new process for effecting direct 8-substitution of camphor.