Periplanone B is a pheromone produced by the female American cockroach, ''

Periplaneta americana The american cockroach (''Periplaneta americana'') is the largest species of common cockroach, and often considered a pest. In certain regions of the U.S. it is colloquially known as the waterbug, though it is not a true waterbug since it is not ...

''. It is a sexual attractant to male cockroaches, especially at short ranges.

History

The activity of this pheromone was first described in 1952, but it was not until 25 years later that Persoons ''et al.'' reported the gross structure of periplanones A and B. The

stereochemical Stereochemistry, a subdiscipline of chemistry, involves the study of the relative spatial arrangement of atoms that form the structure of molecules and their manipulation. The study of stereochemistry focuses on the relationships between stereois ...

configuration and first total synthesis were reported by W. Clark Still's group at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

in 1979.

References

Insect pheromones Epoxides Sesquiterpenes Spiro compounds Ketones Dienes Oxygen heterocycles Vinylidene compounds {{Ketone-stub