Is this project an undergraduate, graduate, or faculty project?
Undergraduate
Project Type
individual
Campus
Daytona Beach
Authors' Class Standing
Forrest Dohner, Senior
Lead Presenter's Name
Forrest Dohner
Lead Presenter's College
DB College of Engineering
Faculty Mentor Name
Dr. Jenny Vu
Abstract
Many natural materials, including pine and eucalyptus, produce distinct scents due to the presence of volatile organic compounds. In cedarwood, this aroma arises from a combination of aromatic molecules, which are organic compounds containing conjugated carbon ring systems that interact with olfactory receptors. Specifically, cedarwood contains three primary compounds responsible for its scent: cedrol, cedrene, and thujopene. The objective of this experiment was to extract these essential oils from cedarwood and identify their chemical composition. Steam distillation was used to isolate the volatile components by passing steam through the cedarwood, causing the essential oils to vaporize at temperatures below their normal boiling points. The vapor mixture of water and oil was then condensed and collected, allowing for separation of the immiscible oil phase. The extracted compounds were subsequently analyzed using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) to determine their molecular identities. Results indicated that approximately 1.4 grams of essential oil were obtained from the cedarwood sample. GCMS analysis confirmed the presence of the key aromatic compounds, demonstrating their combined role in producing the characteristic cedarwood scent.
Did this research project receive funding support (Spark, SURF, Research Abroad, Student Internal Grants, Collaborative, Climbing, or Ignite Grants) from the Office of Undergraduate Research?
No
Included in
Analytical Chemistry Commons, Natural Products Chemistry and Pharmacognosy Commons, Organic Chemistry Commons
Extraction of Cedarwood Essential Oils via Steam Distillation
Many natural materials, including pine and eucalyptus, produce distinct scents due to the presence of volatile organic compounds. In cedarwood, this aroma arises from a combination of aromatic molecules, which are organic compounds containing conjugated carbon ring systems that interact with olfactory receptors. Specifically, cedarwood contains three primary compounds responsible for its scent: cedrol, cedrene, and thujopene. The objective of this experiment was to extract these essential oils from cedarwood and identify their chemical composition. Steam distillation was used to isolate the volatile components by passing steam through the cedarwood, causing the essential oils to vaporize at temperatures below their normal boiling points. The vapor mixture of water and oil was then condensed and collected, allowing for separation of the immiscible oil phase. The extracted compounds were subsequently analyzed using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) to determine their molecular identities. Results indicated that approximately 1.4 grams of essential oil were obtained from the cedarwood sample. GCMS analysis confirmed the presence of the key aromatic compounds, demonstrating their combined role in producing the characteristic cedarwood scent.