The Enantioselectivity of Odor Sensation: Some Examples for Undergraduate Chemistry Courses.

This article discusses seven chiral odorants that demonstrate the enantioselectivity of odor sensation: carvone, Celery Ketone, camphor, Florhydral, 3-methyl-3-sulfanylhexan-1-ol, muscone, and methyl jasmonate. After a general introduction of the odorant−receptor interaction and the combinatorial code of olfaction, the olfactory properties of the enantiomers of these seven odorants, their occurrence in nature, industrial production, and application in perfumery are discussed. Finally, practical aspects of chirality and odor sensation are set forth and these odorants are proposed as examples for introductory courses on stereochemistry, natural products, or bioorganic chemistry.