More than 60 years ago, Pfau and Plattner isolated from vetiver oil (Vetiveria zizanioides Stapf) its most important odoriferous constituent which they named α-vetivone. 4 The structure of the compound, belonging to the eremophilane group of sesquiterpenoids, was established about 30 years later independently by de Mayo 5., and and Marshall. 6 Syntheses of racemic α-vetivone 7., 8. and 9. as well as a hemi-synthesis of (+)-α-vetivone from (−)-β-pinene 10 ...