Synthetic musk
Synthetic musks, known as white musks in the perfume industry, are a class of synthetic aromachemicals to emulate the scent of deer musk or other natural musk. Synthetic musks have a clean, smooth and sweet scent lacking the fecal/"animalic" notes of natural musks and are sometimes attributed as having notes of blackberry, ambrette or ambergris. These compounds are essential in modern perfumery and form the base note foundations of most perfume formulas. Most, if not all musk fragrance used in perfumery today is synthetic.
Synthetic musks can be divided into three major classes — nitro musks, aromatic ketones, aromatic ethers, and macrocyclic lactones. All groups have broad uses in industry ranging from cosmetics and detergents to fine perfumes.
Nitro musks
- Musk xylene
- Musk ketone
Aromatic ketones
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- 6-Acetyl-1,1,2,3,3,5-hexamethylindane
- Phantolide (Haarmann & Reimer)
- 4-Acetyl-1,1-dimethyl-6-tert-butylindane
- Celestolide (IFF)
- Crysolide (Givaudan Roure)
- 5-Acetyl-1,1,2,6-tetramethyl-3-isopropylindane
- Traseolide (Quest)
- 6-Acetyl-1,1,2,4,4,7-hexamethyltetraline
- Fixolide (Givaudan Roure)
- Tonalide (Haarmann & Reimer)
Aromatic ethers
- 4,6,6,7,8,8-Hexamethyl-1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydrocyclopenta[g]benzopyrane
Macrocyclic lactones
- (R)-3-Methylcyclopentadecanone
- Cyclopentadecanone
- Exaltone (Firmenich)
- 3-Methylcyclopentadec-4/5-en-1-one
- Muscenone (Firmenich)
- 5-Cyclohexadecen-1-one
- TM II SP (Soda Aromatic)
- Ambretone (Takasago)
- 15-Pentadecanolide
- Cyclopentadecanolide (Haarmann & Reimer)
- Exaltolide (Firmenich)
- Pentalide (Soda Aromatic)
- Oxacyclohexadec-12/13-en-2-one
- Habanolide (Firmenich)
- Globalide (Haarmann & Reimer)
- 12-Oxa-16-hexadecanolide
- Musk R 1 (Quest)
- α,ω-Dodecanedioic acid ethylene ester
- Arova 16 (Degussa)
- (Z)-7-hexadecen-16-olide
- Ambrettolide (found in Ambrette seed oil)
Alicyclic musks
Alicyclic musks, otherwise known as cycloalkyl ester or linear musks, are a relatively novel class of musk compounds. The first compound of this class was introduced 1975 with Cyclomusk, though similar structures were noted earlier in citronellyl oxalate and Rosamusk.[1] Alicyclic musks are dramatically different in structure than previous musks (aromatic, polycyclic, macrocyclic) in that they are modified alkyl esters.[2] Although they were discovered prior to 1980, it was only in 1990 with the discovery and introduction of Helvetolide at Firmenich that a compound of this class was produced at a commercial scale.[1] Romandolide, a more ambrette and less fruity alicyclic musk compared to Helvetolide, was introduced ten years later.[2]
Environmental and health issues
Synthetic musks are lipophilic and tend to deposit and persist in fat tissue for a very long time. Nitromusks and polycyclic musks – having been used for 100 years – have low biodegradability and accumulate in the environment. Their environmental effects aside, these chemicals pose no significant risks to human health.
References
- 1 2 Kraft, Philip (2004). "'Brain Aided' Musk Design". Chemistry & Biodiversity. 1 (12): 1957–1974. PMID 17191832. doi:10.1002/cbdv.200490150.
- 1 2 Eh, Marcus (2004). "New Alicyclic Musks: The Fourth Generation of Musk Odorants". Chemistry & Biodiversity. 1 (12): 1975–1984. PMID 17191833. doi:10.1002/cbdv.200490151.