It has been known for many years that α-Pinene is readily converted in to monocyclic terpenes and terpen alcohols when treated with dilute mineral acids [1]. Anhydrous organic acids also give monocyclic terpenes and the esters of acid used [2]. Anhydrous hydrogen chloride as employed in the old camphor process gives considerable by-product monocyclic terpenes in addition to pinene hydrochloride [3]. In resent years many applications of solid phase catalysis have been developed for the isomerization of α-Pinene [4]. Silica chloride is employed in several new acid catalized reactions [5]. In this work silica chloride was used as an effective hydrochlorinating agent for the stereoselective isomerization of α-Pinene to bornyl chloride under mild and heterogenous conditions with good yield
