I’ve experimented with making essential oils from botanicals via steam distillation and while I tried my best to log everything in a scientific way to be able to learn from my mistakes/improve as well as be able to replicate the process again… I’ve learned along the way that my experience so far has been ‘monkey see, monkey do’ and that I don’t actually know much of the science happening. I purchased a few books that I found recommended online for essential oils, and while it helped me understand some of the safety aspects related to extracting/consuming different plants essential oils, it didn’t really help me understand the molecules/science involved.
I want to start from the beginning and learn more about terpenes & science involved in the process.
any first semester organic chemistry course would include basics on polar/non-polar organics, extraction, distillation, and recrystallization… more science than you’d need for industry work. Youtube vids included.
Combined with just about any organic chemistry book. And tada, hopefully you’ll be able to visualize molecules and their structures and think about their reaction mechanisms as they go through all the processes they mentioned you to learn about.
terpenes are complex molecules and with so many different functional groups having a solid grasp of how they will be reacting to different things and environments is super helpful.
I haven’t looked at what the course entails but I know people have raved about Khan Academy having some pretty decent information for a free website. Might be a place to get your feet wet before buying books or paying for a course.
here is one on Organic Chemistry - yes, they are always online. yes, they are always free. This one linked below is beginner Orgo and it also has two lectures on aromatics (which terpenes are aromatics!)
