Exaltolide®

Other comments :

In comparision to other musks, Exaltolide® has a particularly fruity note and a violet flower undernote.

Stability :

Musks are very stable, as in alcoholic and in functional fragrances

Uses in perfumery :

Exaltolide® is used in red fruits accords such as blackberry, raspberry or blueberry. To be combined with other musks for more facets.
Only used in fine fragrance because of its price. Used in violet flower and leather accords. Prefered in feminine accords for its fruity facets.

Year of discovery :

Discovered in 1926 in ambrette seads. ''Exaltolide® '' tradename has been published and protected by Firmenich SA since 15/10/1949 (brand N°143584)

Isomerism :

Exaltolide® does not have any isomer used in perfumery.

Synthesis precursor :

Exaltolide® is not a precursor to the synthesis of another compound of olfactory interest.

Natural availability :

Exaltolide® can be found in trace amounts in Ambrette Seeds Absolute and Angelica Root EO, which allow to extract certain quantities in its natural state.

Synthesis route :

The synthesis of Exaltolide® can be done in two major ways. One is to enlarge the cycle size of cyclododecanone. A radical addition of allyl alcohol to this starting reagent, in the presence of a peroxide, allows to implant an alcohol function linked to a carbon chain on the starting molecule. An acidic catalysis enables a dehydration of the intermediate product. Then, an addition of hydrogen peroxide in an acid medium to the molecule obtained in the previous process, followed by a heating of the last intermediate in xylene, allows the synthesis of Exaltolide®. The second synthesis route is made from polyesters of 15-hydroxypentadecanoic acid (which is prepared by a rather complex first process), placed under a high vacuum and in the presence of a trans-esterification catalyst.