Structural elucidation of a hy-droxy-cineole product obtained from cytochrome P450 monooxygenase CYP101J2 catalysed transformation of 1,8-cineole.

1,8-Cineole is an abundant natural product that has the potential to be transformed into other building blocks that could be suitable alternatives to petroleum-based chemicals. Mono-hydroxy-lation of 1,8-cineole can potentially occur at eight different carbon sites around the bicyclic ring system. Using cytochrome P450 monooxygenase CYP101J2 from B2, the hy-droxy-lation can be regioselectively directed at the C atom adjacent to the methyl-substituted quaternary bridgehead atom of 1,8-cineole. The unambiguous location of the hydroxyl functionality and the stereochemistry at this position was determined by X-ray crystal analysis. The mono-hydroxy-lated compound derived from this microorganism was determined to be (1)-2a-hy-droxy-1,8-cineole (trivial name) or (1,4,6)-1,3,3-trimethyl-2-oxabi-cyclo-[2.2.2]octan-6-ol (V) (systematic), CHO. In the solid state this compound exhibits an inter-esting O-H⋯O hydrogen-bonding motif.