Preparative High-Performance Liquid Chromatographic Separation of Natural Farnesol Isomers (1)

Abstract

Farnesol, 3,7,11-trimethyl-2,6,10-dodecatrien-1-ol, is a naturally occurring sesquiterpenoid that is used in perfumery and synthesis. In synthesis, it is used as a starting material for other terpenoids and insect juvenile hormone derivatives. A preparative high-performance liquid chromatographic separation procedure was developed whereby 2.1 g of 2E,6E-farnesol could be readily isolated from 4.8 g of a 1:1 mixture of the 2E,6E- and 2Z,6E-isomers of farnesol. This rapid one-step procedure simplifies the separation of the mixed isomers on a preparative scale.