One-pot synthesis of (-)-Ambrox

(-)-Ambrox is recognised as the prototype of all ambergris odorants. Widely used in perfumery, (-)-Ambrox is an important ingredient due to its unique scent and excellent fixative function. An environmentally friendly and practical preparation of (-)-Ambrox is still unavailable at present although a lot of attention has been paid to this hot research topic for many years. A one-pot synthesis of (-)-Ambrox was studied starting from (-)-sclareol through oxidation with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of a quaternary ammonium phosphomolybdate catalyst {[C5H5NC16H33] [H2PMo12O40]}, which gave the product a 20% overall yield.