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Review
. 2020 Jun 18;26(34):7537-7555.
doi: 10.1002/chem.202000577. Epub 2020 Apr 21.

A Chemical History of Polycyclic Musks

Olivier R P David  1
Affiliations
Review

A Chemical History of Polycyclic Musks

Olivier R P David. Chemistry. .

Abstract

Musk odorants are ubiquitous in fine perfumery as well as household products, and are divided into four main families, the nitromusks, the macrocyclic musks, the polycyclic aromatic musks, and the alicyclic musks, following their order of appearance on the perfumery market. This article presents the scientific and industrial adventures during the discovery of the seven commercial polycyclic musks, which invigorated the aroma chemistry corporations during the second half of the 20th century, resulting in relentless competition. Research and development strategies are exposed, and reactivity, analytical, mechanistic, and structure-activity relationships aspects are discussed as well as some biographical elements of the main scientific actors, and some fine perfumery examples are given as illustrations of their use.

Keywords: fragrances; history of science; industrial chemistry; rearrangement; structure-activity relationships.

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References

    1. For general reviews on musks, see:
    1. Fragrance of Natural Musk Compounds, B. D. Mookherjee, R. A. Wilson, Fragrance Chemistry: The Chemistry of the Sense of Smell (Ed.: E. T. Theimer), Academic Press, New York, 1982, chapter 12, pp. 433-494;
    1. Synthetic Musks: I. Nonbenzenoid Musks, T. F. Wood, Fragrance Chemistry: The Chemistry of the Sense of Smell (Ed.: E. T. Theimer), Academic Press, New York, 1982, chapter 13, pp. 495-507;
    1. Les Substances à odeur musquée, Chimie des substances odorantes, P.-J. Teisseire, Tec & Doc, 1991, pp. 311-386.
    1. On macrocyclic musks: The synthesis of macrocyclic musks, A. S. Williams, Synthesis 1999, 10, 1707-1723.

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