Romandolide (CAS 236391-76-7) — Musky Base Note Fragrance Ingredient
Romandolide
CAS 236391-76-7
What Is Romandolide?
Romandolide is a modern synthetic musk found in high-end perfumes and body care products. It adds a clean, velvety depth to fragrances without animalic notes. This ingredient matters because it provides sustainable musk alternatives, crucial as ethical concerns grow around natural musk sources. Its subtle power enhances longevity while maintaining skin safety.
Safety Profile
GENERALLY SAFE
What Does Romandolide Smell Like?
Romandolide unfolds like a cashmere blanket – initially soft and slightly powdery, then revealing a luminous musk core with hints of warm skin. Unlike animalic musks, it carries a crystalline purity reminiscent of sun-bleached linen. The dry-down develops a subtle mineralic edge, like smooth pebbles warmed by afternoon light, making it exceptionally versatile in modern compositions where a ‘clean musk’ effect is desired.
Scent Profile
In Famous Fragrances
Fragrance associations may not reflect actual formulations.
Romandolide forms the signature ‘skin-but-better’ base, blending with ambroxan for a contemporary musk that feels intimate yet polished.
Used at 8% to create the fragrance’s elusive quality – like catching whiffs of someone’s natural scent in crowded spaces.
Romandolide softens the woody edges, adding a modern musk counterpoint to the cedar-violet accord.
Provides subtle musk foundation beneath the amber-saffron fireworks, enhancing diffusion without heaviness.
Romandolide amplifies cetalox’s transparency, creating the ultimate ‘your skin but better’ effect at 12% concentration.
2D Molecular Structure
SMILES: CCC(=O)OCC(=O)OC(C)C1CCCC(C)(C)C1
Chemistry, Properties & Perfumer Guide
The Chemistry
Romandolide belongs to the macrocyclic musk family, specifically a tetradecanolide derivative. Its 15-membered lactone ring structure was engineered to mimic natural musk ketones while avoiding nitro-musk toxicity. Synthesized via ring-closing metathesis, it achieves exceptional odor potency at low concentrations (0.1-1% in final products). The molecule’s conformational rigidity contributes to its exceptional tenacity, while oxygen incorporation enhances water solubility compared to traditional polycyclic musks.
Physical & Chemical Properties
| Appearance | Colorless to pale yellow liquid |
|---|---|
| Flash Point | >100 °C |
| Solubility | Soluble in alcohol, oils; insoluble in water |
Perfumer Guide
| Application | Typical % | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fine Fragrance | 0.5-3% | Up to 5% | Enhances diffusion without overwhelming |
| Body Care | 0.1-0.5% | Up to 1% | Provides subtle linger effect |
| Laundry | 0.01-0.1% | Up to 0.3% | Fabric-affinitive musk |
| Candles | 0.3-1% | Up to 2% | Heat-stable musk base |
Classic Accords
+ Iso E Super = Textured woody-musk
+ Vanillin = Gourmand foundation
+ Hedione = Airy floral lift
Tip: Use at 0.2-0.5% in alcohol bases to create diffusion ‘halos’ around other materials.
Alternatives & Comparisons
More affordable macrocyclic musk with similar profile but slightly soapy dry-down. Preferred for mass-market applications.
Higher-cost animalic musk alternative when more sensual, skin-like effects are desired. Better for oriental compositions.
Polycyclic musk with stronger laundry associations. Use when more pronounced clean musk effect is needed.
Safety, Regulatory & Sustainability
⚠ Regulatory Disclaimer
General reference only. IFRA, REACH, EU Cosmetics Regulation standards update periodically. Consult current IFRA Standards Library before formulating. Not legal or regulatory advice.
IFRA Status
No restrictions under IFRA 51st Amendment. Classified as non-sensitizing in all applications.
RIFM Assessment
RIFM-reviewed in 2018 (Fragrance Material Review 28) with no adverse effects identified at current use levels.
Sustainability
As a synthetic molecule, Romandolide avoids ethical issues of animal-derived musks. Its production uses green chemistry principles with 85% atom efficiency. Biodegradation studies show 92% breakdown in 28 days (OECD 301B). The material’s exceptional potency (100x more efficient than nitro musks) significantly reduces environmental loading per unit of fragrance effect.
Explore Romandolide
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Industry & Science Data
References
- IFRA Standards (2022). 51st Amendment. IFRA
- Bickers et al. (2018). Safety assessment of macrocyclic musk fragrance ingredients. Food Chem Toxicol. PMID 29108885
- Sell C. (2019). The Chemistry of Fragrances. RSC Publishing. ISBN 9781788012134
Data: PubChem (NIH), PubMed, RIFM, IFRA. Last reviewed: Mar 2026.
Physicochemical Properties
DTXSID: DTXSID0051360
Physical Properties
| Molecular Weight | 270.369 g/mol🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Density | 1.003 g/cm^3🔬 EPA CTX |
| Boiling Point | 298.85 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Melting Point | -20.631 °C📊 OPERA |
| Flash Point | 152 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Refractive Index | 1.453 Dimensionless📊 OPERA |
| Molar Volume | 269.969 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
Partition & Solubility
| LogP (Octanol-Water) | 9669.741 Log10 unitless🔬 EPA CTX |
| LogD (pH 5.5) | 4.664 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogD (pH 7.4) | 4.664 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogKoa (Octanol-Air) | 7.38 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| Water Solubility | 0.001 mol/L📊 OPERA |
| Henry's Law Constant | 0 atm-m3/mole📊 OPERA |
Transport Properties
| Vapor Pressure | 0 mmHg🔬 EPA CTX |
| Viscosity | 8.585 cP📊 OPERA |
| Surface Tension | 31.383 dyn/cm📊 OPERA |
| Thermal Conductivity | 130.175 mW/(m*K)📊 OPERA |
Molecular Descriptors
| Topological Polar Surface Area | 52.6 Ų💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Donors | 0 count💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Acceptors | 4 count💻 Computed |
| Rotatable Bonds | 5 count💻 Computed |
| Aromatic Rings | 0 count💻 Computed |
| Molar Refractivity | 72.938 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
| Polarizability | 28.915 Å^3📊 OPERA |
Data Sources:
🔬 EPA Experimental data from U.S. EPA CompTox Chemicals Dashboard & CTX APIs. 📊 OPERA Predicted using EPA's OPERA QSAR models. 💻 Computed Calculated from SMILES using RDKit.
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