Switzerland (a Swiss fragrance house — proprietary captive molecule), China
Pyramid
Base
Warm, animalic, slightly woody musk with a particular metallic edge. Muscenone is a synthetic macrocyclic musk ketone — a powerful and most skin-like in the family.
Warm, animalic, slightly woody-metallic. More powerful and more skin-like than most synthetic musks. The metallic edge distinguishes it from softer lactone musks (Exaltolide, Habanolide). Like the scent of warm skin amplified — musky, slightly animal, with a mineral-metallic quality that makes it feel alive rather than clean.
Evolution over time
Immediately
Immediately
Warm animalic musk, powerful, slightly metallic
After a few hours
After a few hours
Deeper, more skin-integrated, less metallic, very warm
Muscenone is a synthetic macrocyclic musk ketone closely related to natural muscone (from musk deer, Moschus moschiferus). It is a potent macrocyclic musks available to perfumers, with excellent tenacity and a warm, animalic character that approaches the quality of natural deer musk more closely than most other synthetics.
The molecule is a cyclopentadecanone derivative — a 15-membered ring ketone. Its olfactory profile is warmer and more animalic than Exaltolide (which is a lactone, softer and more powdery) and more powerful than Velvione (which is softer and more velvety).
Muscenone's strength lies in its naturalness of odor — it has a warmth and skin-intimacy that polycyclic musks (Galaxolide, Tonalide) cannot achieve. This makes it a preferred base note for skin-scent compositions and intimate fragrances.
In formulation, Muscenone provides a powerful, warm, animalic musk base with excellent fixative properties — it extends the life of everything above it in a composition.
Leopold Ruzicka received the 1939 Nobel Prize in Chemistry partly for synthesizing muscone — the natural analogue of Muscenone — from civetone. His work on macrocyclic compounds proved that large ring molecules could exist, overturning the prevailing belief that rings larger than 8 atoms were impossible.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: Fully synthetic — produced via macrocyclic ketone synthesis. No natural source (natural muscone from musk deer is CITES-prohibited). The synthesis involves multi-step ring construction to achieve the specific 15-membered ring ketone structure.
Molecular Formula
C16H28O
CAS Number
63314-79-4
Botanical Name
N/A - synthetic macrocyclic musk
IFRA Status
No known restrictions
Synonyms
MUSCENONE · (5E)-3-METHYLCYCLOPENTADEC-5-EN-1-ONE
Physical Properties
Odor Strength
High
Lasting Power
336 hours at 10.00%
Appearance
colorless to pale yellow clear liquid
Boiling Point
346.00 to 347.00 °C. @ 760.00 mm Hg
Flash Point
293.00 °F. TCC ( 145.00 °C. )
Specific Gravity
0.92500 to 0.93500 @ 20.00 °C.
Refractive Index
1.48600 to 1.49000 @ 20.00 °C.
Melting Point
-16.00 to -15.00 °C. @ 760.00 mm Hg
In Perfumery
Muscenone is a macrocyclic musk ketone (15-membered ring) functioning as a powerful, animalic-warm base note. Among the closest synthetics to natural muscone in character. More potent than Exaltolide, warmer than Habanolide, more animalic than Velvione. Used in skin-scent compositions, animalic bases, and intimate fragrances where musk must feel biological rather than clean. Excellent fixative — extends longevity of heart and top notes. Part of the macrocyclic musk shift from environmentally persistent polycyclics.
