Starting The Process Of Direct Synthesis Of ¦Â-ionone, From Litsea Cubeba Oil

β-ionone is a rare spice with woody odor, which is used in confecting essence with woody or fruity odor and as an important intermediate of perfume and medicine . The study in synthesizing P-ionone from litsea cubeba oil included mainly condensation, cyclization, purification of pseudoionone and P-ionone . By experiments , we obtained optimum technogical condition and proceeded with proof test. After the products were analyzed by GC, the results were showed : (1) the condensation of citral with acetone, conversion of citral, synthetic and refined yields of pseudoionone were 98% , 95.4% and 75.5% respectively, so total yield of condensation process was 72% ; the cylization of pseudoionone, conversion of pseudoionone, synthetic and refined yields of P-ionone were 99%,95.5% and 69% respectively,so total yield of cylization process was 66% .The yield of the two processes was 47.5%(wt), which was higher than literature value(40 - 45%); (2) sum ionone and p-ionone contents of the product were not lower than 95% and 92% respectively. Specialties of the technology are mild condition, low consumption and easy of industrialization etc. .