Fragrance Chemistry Hub

If you are on this page, you probably have asked yourself the question: “Do I really need to know fragrance chemistry to develop fragrance?”

The simple answer is no, you don’t need to know chemistry for that. But if you want to develop great fragrances which will be usable, stable, and interesting, then you need to know chemistry.

The difference between “need” and “have to” is very clear here. We had to learn chemistry in school because our grades were dependent on our knowledge, and this is pure “have to.” Now, you are in search of specific knowledge which will be used for a direct purpose. You don’t have to learn stuff that will not be useful in practice; you need only the part that will be applicable in your craft.

I can’t say that fragrance chemistry is a very easy subject, or lie that these topics can be grasped only by reading at a glance. But with the knowledge of the very nature of the materials you are working with, you will be able to achieve results that would require many trials without this knowledge.

At first glance, fragrance development can look like simple mixing of raw materials with the purpose of receiving some good-smelling mixture, but the backstage is the real chemistry battlefield where the most interesting events are happening.

This hub was created to make navigation easier through all the blog posts about fragrance chemistry. It will be updated every time new blog posts related to fragrance chemistry are added.

Take care of yourself and your nose. Enough thinking—let’s learn.

The Foundations of Olfaction

Before we start learning the chemistry, we have to understand a little about our main instrument that will be used through the development—our nose. Although we are going to understand how to develop fragrance, first it will be great to understand how we smell.

The Anatomy of Smell: A Guide to the Olfactory System

The Quantum Nose: A Guide to the Vibration Theory of Olfaction

Scents & Science: The Building Blocks

Language begins with letters; chemistry begins with atoms. To be able to understand more complex topics about chemistry, we should first understand what chemistry is and what the smallest building blocks are.

Scents & Science (Ch. 1): The Alchemical Origins of Fragrance Chemistry

Scents & Science (Ch. 2): A Guide to Atoms and Elements in Perfumery

Scents & Science (Ch. 3): A Guide to Chemical Bonds in Perfumery

Molecular Structure & Quantum Mechanics

After the basics are learned, it is time to understand how atoms are bonded to become something bigger and more complex. The shape and energy of a molecule determine how it smells. In these chapters, we dive deep into the quantum mechanics of fragrance. Don’t be afraid of terminology—you will love it.

Scents & Science (Ch. 4): A Guide to Electron Configuration in Fragrance

Scents & Science (Ch. 5): A Guide to Molecular Orbitals in Perfumery

Scents & Science (Ch. 7): A Guide to Chirality in Perfumery

Scents & Science (Ch. 8): A Guide to Aromatic Rings in Perfumery

Functional Groups: The Personality of Scent

This is the most important and probably hardest part of the chemistry you will need to know about fragrances. Everything before that was preparation for this section; everything after results from knowing these topics.

Scents & Science (Ch. 9): A Guide to Functional Groups in Perfumery

Scents & Science (Ch. 10): A Guide to Alcohols and Phenols in Perfumery

Scents & Science (Ch. 11): A Guide to Aldehydes in Perfumery

Scents & Science (Ch. 12): A Guide to Ketones in Perfumery

Scents & Science (Ch. 13): A Guide to Carboxylic Acids in Perfumery

Scents & Science (Ch. 14): A Guide to Esters and Lactones in Perfumery

Scents & Science (Ch. 15): A Guide to Amines in Perfumery