< Page:EB1911 - Volume 21.djvu
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141
PERFUMERY

compounds as the members of a homologous series. For example, the lower fatty aldehyde's have unpleasant odours, those with ten carbon atoms (and also double linkages, which in itself may affect odour) form some of the most delicate scents, while the higher members are odourless. The absence of odour in the higher members may be possibly associated with the low volatility exhibited by compounds of high molecular weight. Certain osmophores have practically equal effects; for example, benzaldehyde, nitrobenzene, benzonitrile, and phenyl azoirnide have practically identical odours, and among the “artificial musks, ” a nitro group may be replaced by the azoimido group without the odour being modified. As a general rule, homologies have similar odours, but many exceptions are known. For example the methyl and ethyl ethers of B-naphthol have the odour of neroli; on the other hand, of the esters of anthranilic acid, the methyl has the odour of orange blossoms, the ethyl has a slight odour, and the isobutyl is odourless. The introduction of a methyl group into the benzene ring generally involves little or no change in odour; but when it (and more especially higher alkyl radicals) is introduced into side chains the odour may be entirely changed. For example, benzene and its homologies have similar odours; phthalide is odourless, but the isopropyl and butyl phthalides, in which substitution occurs in the side chain, smell of celery. Especially characteristic are the derivatives of phenylacetylene. This hydrocarbon is distinctly unpleasant; on the other hand, para-ethyl and para methyl phenylacetylene smell of anise. While the triply-linked carbon system is generally associated with strong and unpleasant odours, the doubly linked system gives pleasant ones. Thus the unpleasant phenylacetylene, C6H5-CECH, is contrasted with styrolene, C5H5-CH.CH2, which occurs in storax, and phenylpropiolic aldehyde with cinnamic aldehyde, CGH5-CH:CH-CHO, which occurs in cassia and cinnamon. The reduction of a double to a single linkage may not destroy odour. Thus hydrocinnamic aldehyde, the reduction product of cinnamic aldehyde, smells of jasmine and lilac, and me lilo tin, which occurs in yellow melilot (Melzlotus ojcmalzs), has the same odour (woodruff) as its oxidation product coumarin. The orientation of the substituent groups in the benzene nucleus also aEects odour. In general, the meta compounds are odourless, while the ortho and para may have odour. Thus p-methoxyacetophenone has a pleasant odour, the meta compound is odourless, 0-amino ace top hen one, 0-aminobenzaldehyde, and o-nitrophenol have strong odours, while the meta and para bodies are odourless. Of the three trinitrobenzenes only the symmetrical form gives origin to perfumes.

The concentration and even the solvent has considerable ellect on the odour of a substance. Many of the artificial principles-vanillin, heliotropine, ionone, &c -have very different odours in strong and in dilute solution; phenyl acetic acid and B-naphthylamine are odourless when solid, but have disagreeable odours when dissolved. Traces of impurities often have the effect of making odourless or pleasant- smelling compounds quite intolerable. Acetylene as generated from calcium carbide, and carbon disulphide prepared from its elements are quite intolerable, though when pure they are, at least, not unpleasant; artificial benzaldehyde must be very carefully purified before it can be used in the preparation of the more delicate scents. In all cases the natural scents are complex mixtures of many ingredients, and a variation in the amount of any one may completely alter the scent. Such mixtures would be difficult to reproduce economically; the perfumer is content with a product having practically an identical odour, with or without the natural substance which it is designed to compete with.

We now give an account of the artificial scents, principally arranged according to their chemical relations. The fatty esters are interesting as providing many of the fruit essences; in fact, by appropriate blending, any fruit odour can be reproduced. Their use, however, is inhibited by the fact that they irritate the respiratory organs, producing coughing and headaches. Isobutyl carbinol acetic ester (amyl acetate), /Cl-lslz CH CH2-CHz'OC°CHa, forms when in dilute alcoholic solution the artificial pear oil; a similar odour is possessed by isoamyl-rt-butyrate, C3H1-CO2-Ci= Hun-Octyl acetate, CgH11~O2C-CH3, has the odour of oranges. Isoamyl pI'Op1OI'l¥it€, C5H11'O2C'C2H5, and Cthyl-7l-blltyfiite, C3H7'O2C'C2H5, have the odour of pineapple, the latter constituting the artificial pineapple oil of commerce. Isoamyl isovalerate, CSHU-OQC-C¢H ., is the artificial apple oil. Of the fatty ketones, methyl nonyl ketone, CH;-CO-C9Hi9, which is the scent of oil of rue, and methyl ethyl acetone, CH3~CO-CH(CH3) (CZH5), which has the odour of peppermint, receive commercial application. Of exceptional importance in the chemistry of perfumes are the unsaturated open chain compounds containing at least eight carbon atoms. These are chemically considered, along with the related cyclic compounds, in the article TERPENES; here we notice their odours and occurrence in perfumes. Of the alcohols, l-linalol occurs in oil of lavender, bergamot, limet and origanum; d-linalol in coriander; citronellol and geraniol in rose, geranium and pelargonium oils. Of the aldehyde's, citral or geranial has the odour of lemons; citronella is the chief constituent of citronella oil. By condensing citral with acetone and treating the product with dilute sulphuric acid, the valuable violet substitute tomme results. This substance is a hydro aromatic ketone, and closely resembles the natural principle irone. B successive treatment with acetic an hydride (to form isopulegolli oxidation to isopulegone, and treatment with baryta citronella yields the cyclic compound pulegone, the chief constituent of oil of penny royal. The olefinic ter nes are generally convertible into methyl heptenone, (CH3)¢C:CH(CeH2)2-CO-CH3, which has been synthesized from sodium ace tony lace tone and amylene dibromide; t is ketone occurs in several essential oils, and has the odour of rue. For the occurrence of cyclic terpenes in the essential oils reference should be made to the table below, which contains the names, sources and chief ingredients of the more important essential oils[1] The terpenes are printed in italics, the aliphatic and benzenoid compounds in ordinary type.

Name of Oil. Source. Constituents.
AnisePtrnptnella amsumAnethole, est ragole
BayPtmenta acrtsEugenol, methyl eugenol, chavicol, est rag ole, mryrcene, phellandrene.
BergamotCttrus bergamtalinalol, lmalyl acetate, limoneue, bergaj2tene
Cajaput.Melaleuca, sp.Cineol
CassiaCinnamonum cassiaCinnamic aldehyde, cinnamyl acetate.
CarawayCarum carisCarvone, d-lirmmene.
CamphorCinnamonum camphord-Pmene, phellandrene, terpzneol, eugenol, safrole
ChamomileAuthemis nobtlisIsobutyl and isoamyl esters of angelic and tiglic acids
CinnamonCirtnamonum ZeylamicumCinnamic aldehyde.
CloveEugema caryophyllataEugenol.
CorianderCortandum satwumLinalol
CuminCumtnum cymtumCumic aldehyde, cymene
EucalyptusEucalyptus globulusCzueol, d-ptnene, and fatty aldehyde's.
FennelFoemculum vulgareAnethole, fenchone, d-ptnene
GeraniumAndropogon schoertanthusGerauwl, cttronellol.
JasmineJasmtnum grandiflorumMethyl anthranilate, indol, benzyl alcohol, benzyl acetate, linalol, lmalyl acetate
LavenderLavendula 'veraLtnalol, l-ltnalyl acetate.
LemonCitrus ltmonumLtmanene, phellandrene, cttral, cttronellal, geranyl acetate, ltnalol.
Lemon-grassAndropogon cttratusCitral.
NeroliCttrus btgardtaLtnalol, geraniol, ltmouene, methyl anthranilate.
OrangeCttrus auranttumd-Ltmonene.
PeppermintMentha ptperttaMenthol, menthyl acetate and valerate
Pine-needlePinus sylvestrtsd-Ptnene, d-sylvestrene.
RoseRosa damascenaGeramol, l-cttronellol.
Rose GeraniumPelargomum odoratts semumGeramol, cttronellol.
RosemaryRosamarmus ojictnaltsPinene, camphene, camphor, cineol, borneol.
SageSalma ojicinaltsPonerte, cmeol, thujorte, borrteol
SassafrasSassafras ojficmaltsSafrole.
SpearmintMentha vtrtdtsl-Lmalol, 1-corvette.
Star aniseIlltctum antsatumAnethole.
TansyTanacetum vulgareThujoue.
ThymeThymus vulgartsThymol.
WormwoodArtemtsta absmthumThujone and thujyl esters
Ylang-ylangCananga odoratal-Lznalol, geramol
  1. 1 See I B Cohen, Organic Chemistry, p. 532; or J. Parry. Chermstry of Pedumes (1908).
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