1-Phenyl-1-cyano-C5-C7 alkanes, organoleptic uses thereof and process for preparing same

Abstract: Described are 1-phenyl-1-cyano-C₅-C₇ alkanes defined according to the structure: wherein R₁ and R₂ each represents hydrogen or methoxy with the proviso that when R₁ is methoxy, R₂ is hydrogen and when R₂ is methoxy, R₁ is hydrogen; and wherein X is C₃-C₅ straight chain or branched chain alkylene and uses thereof in augmenting, enhancing or modifying perfume compositions, perfumed articles and colognes. Also described is a process for preparing such 1-phenyl-1-cyano-C₅-C₇ alkanes by means of reacting benzyl cyanide with an aldehyde or ketone and then hydrogenating the resulting product using a supported palladium catalyst.

Description: The present invention provides 1-phenyl-1-cyano-C 5 -C 7 alkanes defined according to the structure: wherein R 1 and R 2 each represents hydrogen or methoxy with the proviso that when R 1 is methoxy, R 2 is hydrogen and when R 2 is methoxy, R 1 is hydrogen; and wherein X represents C 3 -C 5 straight chain or branched chain alkylene in augmenting or enhancing or imparting aroma to or in perfume compositions, perfumed articles and colognes. The compounds having the structures: are novel compounds. The compounds defined according to the generic structure: have uses in augmenting or enhancing the aroma of perfume compositions, colognes and perfumed articles including but not limited to perfumed polymers, cosmetic powders, anionic, cationic, nonionic or zwitterionic detergents, fabric softener compositions, fabric softener articles including drier-added fabric softener articles (e.g., BOUNCE® marketed by the Procter & Gamble Company of Cincinnati, Ohio). The compounds shown by the generic structure: are hereinafter referred to as the 1-phenyl-1-cyano-C 5 -C 7 alkanes of our invention. The 1-phenyl-1-cyano-C 5 -C 7 alkanes of our invention are capable of imparting, augmenting or enhancing floral, rose, muguet, herbal, green, fruity, Pineapple-like, salicylate, basil, sweet, living orange flower, almond, cherry, woody, cigar box-like, ambergris, animalic, honey-like, musky, balsamic, cedarwood and sage-like aromas with sweet, green, floral, muguet, rose, salicylate, anethole-like, carvone-like, costus and almondy undertones and with sweet, woody, fruity, wine-like, green, salicylate, animalic, honey-like, floral, rose, cabreuva oil-like and bois-de-rose topnotes and with a cooling effect on the skin on dry out to perfume compositions, colognes and perfumed articles including soaps, bleaches, anionic, cationic, nonionic or zwitterionic detergents, fabric softener articles and other perfumed articles. The process of our invention involves first reacting a benzyl cyanide having the structure: with an aldehyde or ketone having the structure: wherein R 3 and R 4 are the same or different hydrogen or lower alkyl with the proviso that R 3 and R 4 are not both hydrogen according to the reaction: The resulting product having the structure: is then hydrogenated using a supported palladium catalyst (palladium on carbon) according to the reaction: thereby forming the products defined according to the structure: also shown by the structure: the 1-phenyl-1 cyano-C 5 -C 7 alkanes of our invention. In carrying out the reaction: this reaction is carried out at 35-90°C using an alcoholic non-aqueous alkali metal hydroxide catalyst. The alcohol can be either methyl alcohol or ethyl alcohol. The alkali metal hydroxide may be either potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide. The mole ratio of aldehyde or ketone:benzyl cyanide derivative may vary from about 0.5:1 up to about 1:0.5 with a preferred mole ratio of 1:1. The ratio of alkali metal hydroxide:alcohol may vary from about 40 grams per liter up to about 120 grams per liter. The ratio of compound having the structure: alcohol (e.g., methyl alcohol or ethyl alcohol) may vary from about 2 moles per liter up to about 6 moles per liter. The reaction time may vary from about five hours up to about thirty hours. In carrying out the reaction: this reaction is carried out from about 80°C up to about 100°C at from about 21-69 bar (300 psig) up to about 42-38 bar (600 psig (pounds per square inch gauge)). The reaction is carried out using a palladium on carbon (supported) catalyst with the amount of palladium on carbon varying from about 3% up to about 10% palladium, with a preferred palladium percentage being 5%. At the end of the reaction, the reaction mass is filtered and fractionally distilled on a fractional distillation column. Again, referring to the reaction: at the end of the reaction, the reaction mass is quenched with a weak acid such as acetic acid, and is then washed with water. The reaction mass is then fractionally distilled on a fractional distillation column prior to the hydrogenation reaction. The following table sets forth the perfumery properties of the various compositions of matter defined according to the structure: so useful in perfumery of our invention. EXAMPLE I PREPARATION OF 2[4'-METHOXYPHENYL]HEXANENITRILE EXAMPLE I(A) : Into a 3 liter reaction flask (3 liter) is added a mixture of 60 grams of potassium hydroxide and 500 ml anhydrous methyl alcohol. The resulting mixture is cooled to 37°C. Over a period of one hour while maintaining the reaction mass at 40-45°C, 200 grams of butyraldehyde is added to the reaction mass. While the reaction mass is maintained at 45-50°C, 250 grams of the compound having the structure: is added to the reaction mass with stirring. The reaction mass is maintained at 50°C for a period of five hours. The reaction mass is then fractionally distilled to yield the compound having the structure: EXAMPLE I (B) : The compound having the structure: is admixed with a 5% palladium on carbon catalyst and placed in an autoclave fitted with a hydrogen feed tube. The autoclave is operated at 28.59 bar (400 psig) pressure and at a temperature of 80°C. The autoclave is operated for a period of one hour. The autoclave is then cooled and opened and the resulting product is fractionally distilled yielding the following fractions: Fraction Number Vapor Temperature (°C) Liquid Temperature (°C) (Vacuum mm/Hg. Pressure) Vacuum Pressure kPa 1 142/ 180/ (2.1) 0.28 2 166 185 (4.0) 0.53 3 166 186 (3.9) 0.52 4 167 189 (3.0) 0.4 5 167 194 (2.9) 0.38 6 167 200 (3.5) 0.47 7 167 215 (4.4) 0.59 8 162 215 (4.2) 0.56 The resulting product has the structure: as confirmed by NMR, IR and mass spectral analysis. EXAMPLE II PREPARATION OF 2[4'-METHOXYPHENYL]-4-PENTANENITRILE EXAMPLE II(A) : Into a 3 liter reaction vessel equipped with stirrer, thermometer, reflux condenser and heating mantle is placed a mixture of 60 grams of solid potassium hydroxide and 500 ml anhydrous methyl alcohol. The resulting mixture is cooled to 30°C. While maintaining the resulting mixture at 30-40°C, 200 grams of isobutyraldehyde is added to the reaction mass over a period of one hour. While maintaining the reaction mass at 40-45°C with stirring, 250 grams of the compound having the structure: is added to the reaction mass over a period of two hours. The reaction mass is then maintained at 46°C for an additional period of six hours. At the end of the reaction, the reaction mass is cooled and quenched with an equal volume of acetic acid. The organic phase is separated from the aqueous phase and the organic phase is fractionally distilled to yield the compound having the structure: as confirmed by NMR, IR and mass spectral analysis. EXAMPLE II (B) : Reaction : Into a 500 ml autoclave is placed the compound having the structure: together with a 5% palladium on carbon catalyst. The autoclave is fitted with a hydrogen feed tube. The autoclave is closed and operated at 28.59 bar (400 psig) pressure and at a temperature of 75°C for a period of one hour. At the end of the one hour period, the autoclave is cooled and opened. The contents are filtered and the filtrate is then fractionally distilled yielding the following fractions: Fraction Number Vapor Temperature (°C) Liquid Temperature (°C) (Vacuum mm/Hg. Pressure) Vacuum Pressure kPa 1 125/ 157/ (2.3) 0.31 2 147 158 (2.3) 0.31 3 146 158 (2.3) 0.31 4 147 159 (2.3) 0.31 5 148 159 (2.3) 0.31 6 150 161 (3.6) 0.48 7 156 166 (5.6) 0.75 8 156 168 (5.2) 0.69 9 152 160 (2.6) 0.35 10 150 158 (2.6) 0.35 11 154 162 (2.6) 0.35 12 149 160 (2.8) 0.37 13 150 185 (3.8) 0.51 14 132 210 (4.5) 0.6 Fractions 6-12 are bulked for perfumery. Fractions 6-12 are the compound having the structure: as confirmed by NMR, IR and mass spectral analysis. EXAMPLE III PREPARATION OF 2[2'-METHOXYPHENYL]-4-METHYLPENTANENITRILE EXAMPLE III (A) : Reaction : Into a 3 liter reaction vessel equipped with stirrer, thermometer, reflux condenser and heating mantle is placed a mixture of 60 grams of solid potassium hydroxide and 1 liter of anhydrous methanol. The mixture is cooled to 30°C. With stirring, over a period of one hour while maintaining the reaction mass at 42°C, 200 grams of isobutyraldehyde is added to the reaction mass. The isobutyraldehyde having the structure: While maintaining the reaction mass at 42-44°C, over a period of three hours, 250 grams of the compound having the structure: is slowly added to the reaction mass with stirring. The reaction mass is continued to be maintained at 40-43°C for a period of five hours. The reaction mass is then quenched with an equal volume of acetic acid and washed with two volumes of saturated aqueous sodium chloride solution. The organic phase is separated from the aqueous phase and dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate. The resulting product is then fractionally distilled to yield the compound having the structure: as confirmed by NMR, IR and mass spectral analysis. EXAMPLE III (B) : Reaction : The compound having the structure: is admixed with a 5% palladium on carbon catalyst. The resulting mixture is placed in a 1 liter autoclave fitted with a hydrogenation tube. The autoclave is closed and heated to 70°C and maintained at a pressure of 28.59 bar (400 psig) while adding hydrogen thereto. The hydrogenation takes place for a period of two hours. At the end of the two hour period, the autoclave is cooled and opened. The contents are filtered and the filtrate is then distilled on a 1 x 10" Goodloe column yielding the following fractions: Fraction Number Vapor Temperature (°C) Liquid Temperature (°C) (Vacuum mm/Hg. Pressure) Vacuum Pressure kPa 1 92/108 138/139 (1.8) 0.24 2 132 143 (2.0) 0.27 3 138 148 (3.4) 0.45 4 138 148 (2.7) 0.36 5 138 148 (2.7) 0.36 6 138 148 (3.3) 0.44 7 138 148 (3.8) 0.51 8 138 148 (3.3) 0.44 9 143 155 (4.0) 0.53 10 128 200 (4.8) 0.64 Fractions 7 and 8 are bulked. Fractions 7 and 8 are the compound having the structure: as confirmed by NMR, IR and mass spectral analysis. EXAMPLE IV PREPARATION OF 2-PHENYL-4,4-DIMETHYLPENTANENITRILE EXAMPLE IV(A) : Reaction : Into a 2 liter reaction vessel equipped with stirrer, thermometer, reflux condenser and heating mantle is placed a mixture containing 56 grams of solid potassium hydroxide and 1 liter of anhydrous methyl alcohol. The temperature of the mixture is maintained at 35-40°C. While maintaining the reaction mass at 35-40°C, over a period of one hour 500 grams of benzyl cyanide having the structure: is added to the reaction mass. Over a period of one hour while maintaining the reaction mass at 35-40°C, 300 ml of the compound having the structure: is added to the reaction mass. The reaction mass is then stirred at 35-40C for a period of nine hours. The reaction mass is then quenched with 80 grams of acetic acid. The reaction mass is then washed with an equal volume of water. The organic phase is separated from the aqueous phase and the organic phase is fractionally distilled on a "rush over" column yielding the following fractions: Fraction Number Vapor Temperature (°C) Liquid Temperature (°C) (Vacuum mm/Hg. Pressure) Vacuum Pressure kPa 1 56/ 79/ (5.00) 0.67 2 57 125 (5.00) 0.67 3 101 135 (1.4) 0.19 4 114 130 (2.0) 0.27 5 103 118 (0.8) 0.11 6 101 122 (0.8) 0.11 Fractions 4, 5 and 6 are bulked. Bulked distillation Fractions 4-6 are the compound having the structure: as confirmed by NMR, IR and mass spectral analysis. EXAMPLE IV(B) : Reaction : The compound having the structure: (392 grams) is admixed with 3 grams of a 5% palladium on carbon catalyst. The resulting mixture is placed in an 1 liter autoclave equipped with a hydrogen feed tube. The autoclave is closed and pressurized with hydrogen at a pressure of 21.69 bar (300 psig) and at a temperature of 55-60°C. The reaction takes place over a period of 0.5 hours. At the end of the reaction, the autoclave is cooled and opened and the contents are filtered. The filtrate is then fractionally distilled yielding the following fractions: Fraction Number Vapor Temperature (°C) Liquid Temperature (°C) (Vacuum mm/Hg. Pressure) Vacuum Pressure kPa 1 63/85 119/25 (1/800) 0.13/106.64 2 84 124 (700) 93.31 3 99 125 (800) 106.64 4 97 125 (908) 121.04 5 95 125 (908) 121.04 6 94 128 (700) 93.31 7 95 126 (700) 93.31 8 94 126 (0.9) 0.12 9 93 129 (0.9) 0.12 10 92 127 (1.0) 0.13 11 120 130 (2.1) 0.28 12 90 127 (0.7) 0.09 13 88 129 (0.7) 0.09 14 95 135 (0.7) 0.09 15 90 130 (0.7) 0.09 Distillation Fractions 5-10 are bulked. Distillation Fractions 5-10 are the compound having the structure: as confirmed by NMR, GLC, mass spectral and IR analyses. EXAMPLE V The following Chypre formulations are prepared: The compound having the structure: imparts to this chypre formulation a floral, rose, muguet, green, fruity, pineapple, "salicylate" topnote profile and a floral, muguet, green, salicylate, anethole and carvone-like undertone. Accordingly, the "Chypre" formulation of Example V(A) can be described as "a Chypre aroma with floral, rose, muguet, green, fruity, pineapple, salicylate topnotes and floral, muguet, green, salicylate, anethole and carvone undertones". The compound having the structure: prepared according to Example I(B) bulked distillation Fractions 2-7 imparts to this Chypre formulation, almond and cherry topnotes and costus, sweet and almond undertones. Accordingly, the Chypre formulation of Example V(B) can be described as "a Chypre aroma with almond and cherry topnotes and costus, sweet and almond undertones". The compound having the structure: prepared according to Example IV(B), bulked distillation Fractions 5-10 imparts to this Chypre formulation green, woody, cigar box, "salicylate", and ambergris undertones with green and woody topnotes. Accordingly, the Chypre formulation of Example V(C) can be described as "a Chypre aroma with green, woody, cigar box-like, salicylate and ambergris undertones and green woody topnotes". EXAMPLE VI PREPARATION OF COSMETIC POWDER COMPOSITIONS Cosmetic powder compositions are prepared by mixing in a ball mill 100 grams of talcum powder with 0.25 grams of each of the substances set forth in Table II below. Each of the cosmetic powder compositions has an excellent aroma as described in Table II below: The features disclosed in the foregoing description, in the claims and/or in the accompanying drawings may, both separately and in any combination thereof, be material for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims: A process for imparting, augmenting or enhancing an aroma of or to a consumable material selected from the group consisting of perfume compositions, perfumed articles and colognes comprising the step of intimately admixing with a consumable material base an aroma augmenting, enhancing or imparting quantity of at least one 1-phenyl-1-cyano-C 5 -C 7 alkane defined according to the structure: wherein R 1 and R 2 each represents hydrogen or methoxy with the proviso that when R 1 is methoxy, R 2 is hydrogen and when R 2 is methoxy, R 1 is hydrogen; and wherein X represents C 3 -C 5 straight chain or branched chain alkylene. The process of Claim 1 wherein the 1-phenyl-1-cyano-C 5 -C 7 alkane has the structure: The process of Claim 1 wherein the consumable material is a perfume composition. The process of Claim 1 wherein the consumable material is a perfumed article and the perfumed article is a solid or liquid anionic, cationic, nonionic or zwitterionic detergent. The process of Claim 1 wherein the consumable material is a perfumed article and the perfumed article is a perfumed polymer. A perfumed consumable material selected from the group consisting of perfume compositions, perfumed articles, perfumed polymers and colognes comprising a consumable material base and intimately admixed therewith an aroma imparting, augmenting or enhancing quantity of at least one 1-phenyl-1-cyano-C 5 -C 7 alkane defined according to the structure : wherein R 1 and R 2 are each hydrogen or methoxy with the proviso that when R 1 is methoxy, R 2 is hydrogen and when R 2 is methoxy, R 1 is hydrogen; and wherein X in C 3 -C 5 straight chain or branched chain alkylene. A perfumed consumable material of Claim 6 wherein the consumable material is a perfume composition and wherein the 1-phenyl-1-cyano-C 5 -C 7 alkane has the structure: A perfumed consumable material of Claim 6 wherein the consumable material is a cologne and comprises water, ethanol and wherein the 1-phenyl-1-cyano-C 5 -C 7 alkane has the structure: A perfumed consumable material of Claim 6 wherein the consumable material is a microporous polymer containing in the interstices thereof an aroma imparting quantity of the 1-phenyl-1-cyano-C 5 -C 7 alkane having the structure: An 1-phenyl-1-cyano-C 5 -C 7 alkane selected from the group consisting of compounds having the structures: and The 1-phenyl-1-cyano-C 5 -C 7 alkane of Claim 10 having the structure: The 1-phenyl-1-cyano-C 5 -C 7 alkane of Claim 10 having the structure:

Inventors: BECK CHARLES E J, BOARDWICK KATHLEEN E, HANNA MARIE R, LEVORSE ANTHONY T, BECK, CHARLES E.J., BOARDWICK, KATHLEEN E., HANNA, MARIE R., LEVORSE, ANTHONY T.
Applicants: INT FLAVORS & FRAGRANCES INC, INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS & FRAGRANCES INC.
Application year: 1995
Main classification: C07C255
IPC codes: C07C255, C11B9