Abstract:Oxidation of β-Caryophyllene in heavy turpentine to β-caryophyllene epoxide in presence of mass fraction 30 % H2O2 aqueous solution by using peroxyphosphotungstomolybdate cetylpyridinium (Cat-PMo2W2O24 ) as catalyst was firstly reported. The product was structurally identified by means of GC/MS, IR, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR. The reaction parameters such as reaction temperature, solvent type, amounts of catalyst, material ratio, and reaction time, had obvious effect on the phase state of the reaction system, the conversion of β-caryophyllene and the selectivity of β-caryophyllene epoxide. An environment-friendly liquid-liquid-solid phase transfer catalytic system was constructed by using ethyl acetate as solvent in which the catalyst could easily be recycled. Under optimum conditions( based on the heavy turpentine mass of 2.80g,the catalyst dosage of 1.07%,the solvent volume of 5mL,n(H2O2 ): n(β-caryophyllene) = 1.78,the reaction temperature of 35℃,the reaction time of 2.5h), the conversion of β-caryophyllene and the selectivity of β-caryophyllene epoxide were up to 98.1% and 98.4% respectively, but the conversion of longifolence has hardly been found. After reaction, the reaction mixture was cooled to remove aqueous phase by phase separation and collect the catalyst by only a simple filtration, and then longifolence and β-caryophyllene epoxide are separated from the filtration by vacuum fractionation with purity(GC) greater than 90% and 95%, respectively.