Galaxolide

Galaxolide (trade name; also known as Abbalide, Pearlide, Astrolide, Musk 50, Polarlide; chemical name 1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-4,6,6,7,8,8,-hexamethyl-cyclopentabenzopyran or HHCB) is a synthetic musk with a clean sweet musky floral woody odor used in fragrances. It is one of the musk components that perfume and cologne manufacturers use to add a musk odor to their products. Galaxolide was first synthesized in 1965, and used in the late 1960s in some fabric softeners and detergents. High concentrations were also incorporated in fine fragrances. Galaxolide (trade name; also known as Abbalide, Pearlide, Astrolide, Musk 50, Polarlide; chemical name 1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-4,6,6,7,8,8,-hexamethyl-cyclopentabenzopyran or HHCB) is a synthetic musk with a clean sweet musky floral woody odor used in fragrances. It is one of the musk components that perfume and cologne manufacturers use to add a musk odor to their products. Galaxolide was first synthesized in 1965, and used in the late 1960s in some fabric softeners and detergents. High concentrations were also incorporated in fine fragrances. Galaxolide is the trade name from International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (IFF) for the fragrance material with CAS Registry Number 1222-05-5 and CAS chemical name cyclopenta(g)-2-benzopyran, 1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-4,6,6,7,8,8-hexamethyl-. Galaxolide is also known by its IUPAC name 4,6,6,7,8,8-hexamethyl-1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-cyclopenta-isochromene and the more commonly used acronym of the chemical name 1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-4,6,6,7,8,8,-hexamethyl-cyclopentabenzopyran (HHCB). The abbreviation for this chemical name, HHCB, is commonly used for galaxolide in various publications. Galaxolide may also be known as hexamethylindanopyran under the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI). Galaxolide is a mixture of isomers. It has chiral centers at carbon atom 4 and 7. The isomers are (4R,7R), (4R,7S), (4S,7S) and (4S, 7R). Galaxolide has a molecular formula of C18H26O and a molecular weight of 258.4 g/mol. At room temperature, it occurs as a highly viscous liquid. Its melting point is -20 °C and its boiling point is estimated to be 330 °C based on a boiling point of 160 °C at 4hPa. Galaxolide was discovered at IFF in the 1960s, by Heering and Beets. It was first synthesized in 1965 and its discovery was mainly due to the work by Beets on the osmophoric group of the polycyclic musks, where they tried to improve existing synthetic musks by making them more stable and hydrophobic Galaxolide has become the key synthetic musk ingredient belonging to the polycyclic musk group as defined by the International Fragrance Association (IFRA). Its odor is described as a “clean”, sweet, floral, woody musk, Research has shown that it is in particular the (4S,7R) and the (4S, 7S) forms of galaxolide that are the most powerful musk notes, with odor thresholds of 1 ng/l or less. Galaxolide has a measured bioconcentration factor (BCF) in fish in a range of 600-1600 and a log octanol/water partition coefficient (Log Kow) of around 5.5 (5.3 – 5.9). Given its lack of bioaccumulation and toxicity, the EU determined that galaxolide does not meet the criteria for being a substance classified as Persistent, Bioaccumulative and Toxic to the environment (PBT). However, the EPA's assessment of galaxolide found it to be moderately persistent and bioaccumulative and highly toxic to aquatic organisms. The EPA's PBT Profiler also finds Galaxolide to exceed the EPA's criteria as a PBT.