Profragrance Chemistry as an Interdisciplinary Research Area and Key Technology for Fragrance Delivery

Profragrances or properfumes are important delivery systems for the controlled release of volatile compounds. They constitute an essential part of a series of commercial body care and household products to ensure the long-lastingness of perfume perception in practical application. Fragrances are released from their respective precursors by covalent bond cleavage under mild environmental conditions. Originating from organic chemistry, modern profragrance research has evolved to a truly interdisciplinary research area covering supramolecular science, physical chemistry, analytical chemistry and various aspects of materials science. The present report highlights some of the profragrance technologies developed at Firmenich during the past 20 years by focusing on hydrolytically cleavable conjugates and photolabile precursors.