Author
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Petroski, Richard |
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Submitted to: Synthetic Communications
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 4/17/1997 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Due to consumer concerns about the use of pesticides and their effect on the environment, we are developing friendlier pest control strategies with the use of pheromones. A pheromone is a natural chemical produced by an insect to attract members of its own species. In our laboratory we developed a method to produce the higher purity pheromone which can be used to measure insect pest populations. The farmer will be able to save more crop by knowing when to spray and scientists will use this information to enhance their research in developing environmentally friendly biocontrol agents. Technical Abstract: The synthetic route to (2E,4E,6E)-5-ethyl-3-methyl-2,4,6-nonatriene, the aggregation pheromone of the Freeman sap beetle, Carpophilus freemani Dobson (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), has been improved in terms of 6E-isomer selectivity by the use of tetra-n-propylphosphonium bromide instead of n-propyltriphenylphosphonium bromide in the final wittig reaction. Separation of the 6E-isomer from undesired 6Z-isomer can be accomplished on a preparative scale by HPLC using a silica column with hexane as the elution solvent. This chromatographic method was also used to purify the aggregation pheromone of the dusky sap beetle, Carpophilus lugubris Murray. |
