Compounds · Oxides · Terpenoid pathway
Caryophyllene oxide
Also known as Epoxycaryophyllene — an analysis may use any of these names
Faint wood, slightly musty, almost motionless. This is what is still on your collar the next day.
- CAS
- 1139-30-6
- Formula
- C15H24O
- Molar mass
- 220.35
- Odour threshold
- —
- Boiling point
- ≈ 280 °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
The oxidised form of beta-caryophyllene; one extra oxygen atom makes it heavier and raises its boiling point by about sixteen degrees. It sits at the far right of the volatility band.
Where else you meet it
Found in almost every essential oil containing beta-caryophyllene, and its share rises with the age of the bottle — an indicator of how long the oil has been stored.