Iso e Super ®
What is Iso e Super®?
SYNTHETIC INGREDIENT for perfumery OVERVIEW
Iso E Super (abbreviated name for 7-acetyl, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydro-1,1,6,7- tetramethyl naphthalene) is one of the most widely used and well-known aromachemicals and synthetic compounds in perfumery. The extreme flexibility of the compound, in fragrance use, gives the perfumer the possibility to choose to employ the Iso E Super in a variety of different ways: as an exalting factor for other compounds contained in the fragrance, or to “overdose” the fragrance with it.
Olfactory Profile and Usage
🔎 IUPAC name: 1-(2,3,8,8-tetramethyl-1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydronaphthalen-2-yl)ethan-1-one
🔎 CAS N° 54464-57-2
👃🏼Olfactory Description: Dry, ambery woody cedar-like with aspects of ambergris, vetiver and patchouli, with a slight phenolic nuance. The IFF also describe it as “Smooth, woody, amber” with a “velvet-like” sensation.
📝 Odor type: Ambery - woody
📈 Olfactory Intensity: Mild
⚛️ Typology: Synthetic Aromatic Chemical / bicyclic hydrocarbon
💧 Solubility: Soluble in Alcohol, hardly soluble in water ( 0,00268 g/l at 20 °C).
🧪 Appearance: Transparent to yellowish mobile liquid
⚗️ Main Characteristics: Superb aromatic properties, high compatibility with other ingredients, extreme adaptability.
Primary Function: Thanks to its peculiar aromatic characteristics, Iso E Super ® can be used as the primary focus for a fragrance with different concentration. It can also be used to amplify, enhance, impart fullness, and strength to other components present in the fragrance.
Secondary Function: Used in household and deodorants
Compatibility: Iso E Super ® usually works well in conjunction with musky, woody, and vanilla notes.
The Aromatic History of Progress (Evolution): the Birth of Iso E Super ®
The road that eventually opened the world to the fruition of Iso E Super ® dates back to the 1960s, period during which many scientists began experimenting with and researching compounds derived from, or with a ionone-like structure. The first step towards the creation of this compound was taken by John B. Hall and James M. Sanders from International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) who, in 1973, filed the patent for that would then be considered a direct predecessor of the Iso E Super ®, a compound called “Isocyclemone E”. After an unspecified period of time of experimentation, the formula was refined, the synthesis method improved, and from this, what we now call Iso e Super ® was born.
Although nowadays the Iso E Super ® is widely used in many fragrances with many different purposes, at the time, as often happens, the reception of this new mixture was varied. The skepticism, or overall lack of interest surrounding this new component in the field of perfumery, led it to be mainly used in household products or, thanks to its characteristic olfactory properties that will be later discussed in this article, as a functional addition to woody fragrances.
In 1975, after two years from its original creation, Iso E Super ® was used for the first time in a proper perfume, albeit in much smaller quantities compared to its use in modern fragrances: Halston Woman 1975 (25%).
While Halston Woman confirmed that Iso E Super ® could be seriously approached in the highly competitive field of perfumery, not only as an enhancer for specific fragrances, but also as a standalone component, its first major breakthrough in the industry did not come until 1988. Perfumer Jean-Louis Sieuzac, under the guidance of Maurice Roger, sought to create a new fragrance that would break the shackling clichés of the past perfumes. The result was Christian Dior Fahrenheit, the first fragrance primarily based on Iso E Super ® and the first example of Iso E Super ® “Overdose”. This groundbreaking fragrance represented a significant milestone for the mixture, proving that its adaptability extended beyond its use as a mere enhancer.
During the 1990s, many scientists and chemists experimented on new acceptable syntheses for the Iso E Super ®. As a result, the mixture was presented on the market under a plethora of new names, such as: Ambralux, Anthamber, Patchouly Ethanone, Isocyclemone E., Amberfleur etc. During the same period, some Givaudan chemists conducted a chromatographic research study on Iso E Super ®, discovering that the substance was almost odorless. After this discovery, the chemists were able to track down the substance responsible for the unique scent of Iso E Super ®, connecting it to a substance called Arborone. Despite only making up 5% of the total compound of the mixture, Arborone, also known as Iso E Super Plus, represents the major contributor for the unique scent of Iso E Super ®.
Around the end of the 1990s, the Givaudan perfumer and chemists tried to create a reasonable alternative that would preserve the peculiar smell of the Arborone. Thus the Georgywood was born. This particular substance shows a similar olfactory profile to its progenitor, with a significantly reduced intensity, and today is only accessible to Givaudan perfumers. Additionally, with the purpose of researching a more sustainable, biodegradable and better soluble alternative to Iso E Super ®, the International Flavors & Fragrances discovered a new compound called Iso Gamma.
The high versatility of Iso E Super has ensured its use in every category of perfumery, although, to this day, the category in which it is most present is men’s woody fragrances such as Abercrombie & Fitch Fierce (48%), and Terre d’Hermes (55%). Other examples of fragrances with a high percentage of Iso E Super ® concentration are Lalique Perles (80%), Comme des Garçons Incense Jaisalmer (51%), Kenzo Air (48%) and many more.
In 2006, Geza Schön created a fragrance line called Escentric Molecules, which included a perfume called Molecule 01. This fragrance contains the highest amount of Iso E Super ever used in a single perfume, with a concentration of 100%.
Sources:
The History of Iso E Super ® in Perfumery - Matvey Yudov
http://lmrnaturals.iff.com/en/site-services/online-compendium-new/iso-e-super-tocopherol#:~:text=Iso E Super® – International Flavors %26 Fragrances&text=Smooth%2C woody%2C amber with unique,and also useful is soaps.