Compounds · Alcohols · Terpenoid pathway
Borneol
Also known as Bornyl alcohol · Băng phiến — an analysis may use any of these names
Camphor but softer, with a damp-wood note. It is the gentle version of camphor.
- CAS
- 507-70-0
- Formula
- C10H18O
- Molar mass
- 154.25
- Odour threshold
- —
- Boiling point
- ≈ 213 °C at atmospheric pressure
Volatility
150 °C290 °C
Where it comes from
Biosynthetic pathway: Terpenoid pathway — plants build them from identical five-carbon blocks.
Why it sits where it does
A bicyclic alcohol; its hydroxyl group holds it back longer than camphor, which has the same skeleton. The nine-degree difference between the two is due to exactly that hydroxyl group.
Where else you meet it
Rosemary, ginger, some pines. In traditional medicine it is known as natural borneol (băng phiến).