The novel perfume is based on the scientists tweaking the delivery system for the chemicals that create the fragrance. This was carried out by a research group based at Queen’s University Belfast, U.K. To achieve the chemical process the group successfully isolated molecules that allow a fragrance to be released in response to moisture.
A standard perfume is a mix of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds, fixatives and solvents used to give the human body a scent that they are others find pleasing; the problem is that it only lasts for a few hours and the decline increases when someone undergoes physical activity.
The release mechanism is based on the liquid that contains the perfume, when applied to a person’s skin, being of a different pH to that of sweat. Sweat has a neutral pH and when the two come into contact at the molecular level, then the reaction steadily releases more of the fragrance.
The delivery system involves connecting a base fragrance onto an ionic liquid (salt in the form of liquid) which has no smell. Aroma is produced only when the ionic liquid meets water of a neutral pH — the kind of water released by sweating. The idea is that people who exercise will have any body odor masked; the secondary idea is that a steady amount of perfume can be released throughout the day as a person goes about their day-to-day activities. A third aspect is that the perfume system has the ability to remove the bad odors that come from sweat.
The chemical delivery system has been dubbed “pro-fragrance.” A few more rounds of research are required, but the concept could be available in stores in the near future.
The research has been published in the journal Chemical Communications. The research paper is called “Pro-fragrant ionic liquids with stable hemiacetal motifs: water-triggered release of fragrances.”
