Borneol (BN)

Borneol is a bicyclic organic compound and a terpene. The hydroxyl group in this compound is placed in an endo position. Borneol is easily oxidized to the ketone (camphor). One historical name for borneol is Borneo camphor which explains the name. Borneol can be synthesized by reduction of camphor by the Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley reduction (a reversible process). Reduction of camphor with sodium borohydride (fast and irreversible) gives instead the isomer isoborneol as the kinetically controlled reaction product. Whereas d-borneol was the antipode that formerly was the most readily available commercially, the currently more commercially available antipode is l-Borneol, which also occurs in nature. Borneol is used in traditional Chinese medicine as moxa. An early description is found in the Bencao Gangmu. Borneol is a component of many essential oils,[4] and it is a natural insect repellent.