Terpenic olefins constitute a relevant platform of renewable molecules, which could be used as key intermediates for the perfumery, flavoring, and pharmaceutical industries. The upgrading of these cheap and available agro-resources through catalytic oxidation processes remains of great interest, leading to the formation of either epoxides via the oxidation of the olefinic bond or α,β-unsaturated ketones by the Csp³-H functionalization at the α-position of the double bond. This critical review summarizes some of the most relevant homogeneous or heterogeneous catalysts designed for the oxidation of some abundant terpenic olefins in the last decade (2008–2018).

A mild and convenient method for the synthesis of a new optically active bis(6,6-dimethylbicyclo[3.1.1]hept-2-en-2-ylmethyl)selenide 1 from the corresponding bicyclic terpene is described. The structure of the obtained organoselenium compound was established using ¹H, ¹³C, ⁷⁷Se-NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction studies. Its application as a catalyst in the allylic chlorination of terpenic olefins has been successfully investigated under mild conditions. The reaction showed high selectivity affording the corresponding chlorides in good to excellent yields. The use of enantiomerically pure monoterpenes as starting materials allowed the preparation of asymmetric allyl chlorides through a process controlled by the substrate.

Highly efficient magnetically separable hybrid GO/SrFe ₁₂ O ₁₉ nanocomposite was synthesized, as catalyst for epoxide ring-opening, via dispersing M-type strontium hexaferrite (SrFe ₁₂ O ₁₉ ) on graphene oxide (GO) sheets.

Polysubstituted pyrroles have been synthesized in good yields via a four-component one-pot reaction of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds, amines, aldehydes, and nitroalkanes using natural hydroxyapatite (HAp) as an efficient green catalyst. This strategy provides advantages such as simple experimental and work-up procedures, mild conditions, high selectivity, low cost, high atom economy, and environmental friendliness; it uses a green commercial catalyst and does not require a solvent. The electrochemical behavior of S300 steel in 1 M hydrochloric acidic was studied in the presence of these heterocyclic compounds. The results showed good inhibition efficiency for steel in acidic media.

Magnetically separable strontium hexaferrite SrFe₁₂O₁₉ was prepared using the chemical coprecipitation method, and the nanostructured material was characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS), and BET analysis. The SEM images showed the homogeneity of the chemical composition of SrFe₁₂O₁₉ and uniform distribution of size and morphology. The pore size of the nanomaterial and its specific area were determined by BET measurements. Strontium hexaferrite SrFe₁₂O₁₉ exhibited a strong magnetic field, which is highly suitable in the heterogeneous catalysis as it can be efficiently separated from the reaction. The magnetic nanocatalyst showed high activity and environmentally benign heterogeneous catalysts for the epoxide ring-opening with amines affording β-amino alcohols under solvent-free conditions. When unsymmetrical epoxides were treated in the presence of aromatics amines, the regioselectivity was influenced by the electronic and steric factors. Total regioselectivity was observed for the reactions performed with aliphatic amines. The magnetically SrFe₁₂O₁₉ nanocatalyst showed excellent recyclability with continuously good catalytic activities after four cycles.