The chemistry of fragrances

What was the scent of ancient Egypt? At least we know that there were already papyrus scrolls with perfume recipes and rites for embalming the dead with fragrant resin. From the Orient, perfumery eventually spread to France and found its center in flower-rich Grasse. However, flowers and essential oils are not the only sources of scent. Animals also produce fragrances. The dark, waxy ambergris, for example - which can also be found in our collection in the HCI - used to come from the digestive tract of the sperm whale. If the substance enters the sea, chemical reactions take place and form a fragrant ambergris body – once as precious as gold. Today, ambergris is synthesized artificially.

Perfumers are also fond of musk deer. The males have a musk pouch, which contains a fragrant rutting secretion. This was also traded at high prices, because musk is the sensual-erotic core of a perfume and gives a feeling of well-being. Today perfumers use artificial forms.

Fragrance research also deals with the interaction of structure and smell, because scents function in a very complex way. They are picked up by olfactory sensory cells and their receptors in the nasal mucosa. The stimuli are passed on to the brain, where they create a scent image that is individual to each person. The system is still largely not understood. Therein lies the challenge for olfactory chemists: they must constantly discover new compounds, in other words scents, which must also be harmless to humans and the environment.