camphor

Also known as 2-bornanone, 2-camphanone, bornan-2-one, laurel camphor, Formosa camphor, Japan camphor, gum camphor, spirit of camphor

Camphor () is a waxy, colorless solid with a strong aroma. It is classified as a terpenoid and a cyclic ketone. It is found in the wood of the camphor laurel (Cinnamomum camphora), a large evergreen tree found in East Asia; and in the kapur tree (Dryobalanops sp.), a tall timber tree from South East Asia. It also occurs in some other related trees in the laurel family, notably Ocotea usambarensis. Rosemary leaves (Rosmarinus officinalis) contain 0.05 to 0.5% camphor, while camphorweed (Heterotheca) contains some 5%. A major source of camphor in Asia is camphor basil (the parent of African blue

AI overview

Camphor is a waxy, colorless solid with a strong smell that comes from certain trees, particularly the camphor laurel found in East Asia and the kapur tree from Southeast Asia. It has been used historically for various purposes and remains a notable natural product extracted from plants in the laurel family.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Chemical data

Formula: C10H16O
Molecular weight: 152.23 g/mol
IUPAC name: 1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-one
SMILES: CC1(C2CCC1(C(=O)C2)C)C
InChIKey: DSSYKIVIOFKYAU-UHFFFAOYSA-N
XLogP: 2.2
Polar surface area: 17.1 Å²
H-bond donors: 0
H-bond acceptors: 1
Formal charge: 0

via PubChem

Research

5,171 papers

Camphor toxicity.ReviewPediatric clinics of North America · 1986Siegel E, Wason SDOI: 10.1016/s0031-3955(16)35008-8
Camphor and Menthol as Anticancer Agents: Synthesis, Structure-Activity Relationship and Interaction with Cancer Cell Lines.ReviewAnti-cancer agents in medicinal chemistry · 2023Singh H, Kumar R, Mazumder A et al.DOI: 10.2174/1871520622666220810153735
Camphor ingestion.ReviewThe American journal of emergency medicine · 1989Gibson DE, Moore GP, Pfaff JADOI: 10.1016/0735-6757(89)90083-1
Camphor Poisoning: an evidence-based practice guideline for out-of-hospital management.Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.) · 2006Manoguerra AS, Erdman AR, Wax PM et al.DOI: 10.1080/15563650600671696
Camphor's Therapeutic Uses and Potential Hazards: An In-Depth Review of Its Medicinal Applications.ReviewMolecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Shabbir A, Parvinzadeh Gashti MDOI: 10.3390/molecules31040648
Camphor--a fumigant during the Black Death and a coveted fragrant wood in ancient Egypt and Babylon--a review.ReviewMolecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2013Chen W, Vermaak I, Viljoen ADOI: 10.3390/molecules18055434
Camphor poisoning.Indian pediatrics · 2012Sahana KS, Rajiv DDOI: 10.1007/s13312-012-0174-6
Molecular basis of camphor repellency in Hyphantria cunea.Pesticide biochemistry and physiology · 2024Wang Y, Qu X, Tian Z et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2024.106069

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Mass: 152.120115

Show 16 more facts

chemical formula: C₁₀H₁₆O
Commons category: Camphor
NIOSH Pocket Guide ID: 0096
density: 0.99
immediately dangerous to life or health: 200
melting point: 180
boiling point: 207
vapor pressure: 0.2
flash point: 150
lower flammable limit: 0.6
upper flammable limit: 3.5
ionization energy: 8.76
time-weighted average exposure limit: 2
canonical SMILES: CC1(C2CCC1(C(=O)C2)C)C
refractive index: 1.470
electric dipole moment: 2.95

Sources (5)

via Wikidata · CC0

~13 min read

Article

21 sections

Contents

Etymology
Production
Natural camphor
Synthetic camphor
Reactions
Biochemistry
Biosynthesis
Uses
Alternative medicine and scent
Topical medication
Respiratory aerosol
Other niche uses
Pest deterrent and preservative
Perfume
Culinary uses
Religious rites
Toxicity
History of synthetic camphor
See also
References
External links

The compound is chiral, existing in two possible enantiomers as shown in the structural diagrams. The structure on the left is the typical naturally occurring (+)-camphor ((1R,4R)-bornan-2-one), while its mirror image shown on the right is the (−)-camphor ((1S,4S)-bornan-2-one), which is very rare in nature. Camphor has few uses but is of historic significance as a compound that is readily purified from natural sources.