Muscone®

Other comments :

Muscone® is less powerful than Muscenone®, with a similar structure.
Muscone® is the first non-nitrated musk to appear on the market. Initially extracted from Musk Tonkin (some qualities of which contain up to 20%). It took 20 years for chemists to succeed in unlocking the secret of its molecular structure. Indeed, at the beginning of the 20th century it was difficult to imagine that a molecule could have more than 6 carbons in its cycle. It was therefore necessary to wait for the arrival of more advanced analytical techniques to understand and assert its structure.

Stability :

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

Uses in perfumery :

Muscone® is used in fine fragrance for musky, floral and animalic notes and in reproductions of natural musk.
Gives an interesting powdery-violet effect in leather and woody perfumes.

Year of discovery :

Discovered in 1905 but the molecular structure was first identified in 1925.

Isomerism :

This compound has an asymmetric carbon that gives rise to two possible enantiomers with a similar smell. There is also a molecule called Nor-Muscone® (or Exaltone), which has no branching. Its smell is roughly equivalent to classic Muscone®.

Synthesis precursor :

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

Natural availability :

Muscone® was originally found in natural musk, extracted from the Tibetan goat. Nowadays, only synthetic Muscone® is produced.

Synthesis route :

Muscone® is a macrocyclic musk that can be synthesized in many ways. One of them is from Citronellal to synthesize diacetyldodecane, which is the widespread method. This compound is cyclized by a ruthenium catalysis, followed by a catalytic hydrogenation to obtain the final Muscone®.